Find out how popular the last name Drapeau is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Drapeau.

Drapeau, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Drapeau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drapeau in America

Drapeau is the 19257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drapeau surname appeared 1,408 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Drapeau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drapeau to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Drapeau

The surname Drapeau originates from the French language and is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the area around Normandy, during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old French word "drap," meaning "cloth" or "fabric," and likely referred to someone who was involved in the textile trade, either as a weaver, a merchant, or a seller of cloth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Drapeau can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Drapier," "Draperius," and "Drappier," indicating its Norman origins and the influence of the French language on English surnames.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Drapeau was Guillaume Drapeau, a French merchant and landowner who was involved in the textile trade between France and England. He is mentioned in several historical records from the time, including a charter granted by King Louis IX in 1249.

Another prominent individual with the surname Drapeau was Étienne Drapeau, a French soldier and explorer who was born in the late 16th century. He participated in several expeditions to the Americas and is known for his detailed accounts of the indigenous peoples and cultures encountered during his travels.

In the 17th century, the name Drapeau appeared in various parts of France, including the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and Poitou. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Jean Drapeau, a French soldier and colonist who settled in the French colony of Acadia (now Nova Scotia and parts of eastern Canada) in the mid-1600s.

The surname Drapeau has also been associated with several notable figures in more recent history. For example, Pierre Drapeau (1915-1999) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the mayor of Montreal for nearly three decades, overseeing major developments in the city, including the construction of the Montreal Metro system and the hosting of the 1967 World's Fair and the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Another significant figure with the surname Drapeau was Michel Drapeau (1944-2013), a Canadian actor and filmmaker who was known for his work in both English and French-language productions. He received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to Canadian cinema, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Genie Awards (Canada's equivalent of the Academy Awards) in 2013.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drapeau

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Drapeau.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Drapeau was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Drapeau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Drapeau was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Drapeau, please contact us.

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