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

Dufault, 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 Dufault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dufault in America

Dufault is the 15806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dufault surname appeared 1,842 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dufault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dufault 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 Dufault

The surname Dufault is of French origin, originating in the northern regions of France around the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "default," meaning "fault" or "deficiency." The name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as having a particular flaw or shortcoming.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dufault can be found in the Parisian tax rolls of 1292, where a certain Robert Dufault is mentioned. In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the regions of Normandy and Picardy, indicating its spread across northern France.

During the 16th century, the Dufault surname gained prominence with the birth of Jean Dufault (1515-1578), a renowned French poet and playwright from Normandy. His works, which included numerous sonnets and plays, were widely celebrated during the Renaissance era.

In the 17th century, the Dufault name made its way to New France (modern-day Quebec, Canada) with the arrival of several French settlers. One notable figure was Pierre Dufault (1643-1716), a farmer and landowner who established himself in the seigneury of Rivière-du-Loup.

The 18th century saw the emergence of another prominent individual bearing the Dufault surname, Jacques Dufault (1701-1782), a successful merchant and trader based in Montreal. His business ventures extended throughout the Great Lakes region, and he played a significant role in the fur trade.

As the Dufault family continued to grow and spread across various regions, notable individuals emerged, such as Marie-Louise Dufault (1826-1897), a renowned educator and founder of several schools for girls in Quebec. Her contributions to the education system were widely recognized and celebrated.

Another notable figure was Jules Dufault (1870-1945), a French-Canadian politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Shefford from 1917 to 1925.

Throughout its history, the Dufault surname has been associated with various places and localities, including the commune of Dufault in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, as well as the village of Dufault in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dufault

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

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 Dufault 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 Dufault 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 Dufault was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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