du Pont last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of du Pont

A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a bridge or derived from a place name.

du Pont, 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 du Pont surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of du Pont in America

du Pont is the 3456th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The du Pont surname appeared 10,339 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname du Pont.

We can also compare 2010 data for du Pont 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 3456 3320 4.01%
Count 10,339 9,880 4.54%
Proportion per 100k 3.50 3.66 -4.47%

The history of the last name du Pont

The surname DuPont is of French origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the French words "du" meaning "of" and "pont" meaning "bridge." The name likely originated from one of the many places in France with the word "pont" in their names, such as Pontoise or Pontarlier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DuPont surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de Ponte," which was the Norman French version of the name.

In the 13th century, the DuPont name was associated with a noble family from the region of Normandy in northern France. This family owned lands and properties near the town of Pont-Audemer, and their name was often written as "de Pont" or "du Pont."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the DuPont surname was Guillaume du Pont, a French soldier and knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the mid-14th century. He was known for his bravery and military prowess on the battlefield.

In the 15th century, the DuPont family established themselves in the region of Champagne, where they became prominent landowners and winemakers. One of the most famous members of this branch of the family was Jacques DuPont (1460-1528), who was renowned for his expertise in viticulture and wine-making techniques.

During the Renaissance period, the DuPont name was also associated with several artists and intellectuals. One of the most notable figures was Pierre DuPont (1521-1589), a French sculptor and architect who worked on several important projects, including the renovation of the Louvre Palace in Paris.

In the 17th century, the DuPont family gained further prominence in France when one of its members, Samuel DuPont (1609-1679), became a successful merchant and financier. He amassed a considerable fortune through his business ventures and was instrumental in establishing the family's influence in the realm of finance and commerce.

Throughout history, the DuPont surname has been carried by many distinguished individuals across various fields, including politics, military, arts, and sciences. The name has also been associated with some of the most prominent families in France, who have played significant roles in shaping the country's history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name du Pont

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

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 du Pont was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 82.98% 8,579
Non-Hispanic Black Only 9.97% 1,031
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.95% 98
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.28% 29
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.60% 165
Hispanic Origin 4.23% 437

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 du Pont has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 82.98% 85.16% -2.59%
Black 9.97% 8.76% 12.92%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.95% 0.81% 15.91%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.28% 0.28% 0.00%
Two or More Races 1.60% 1.92% -18.18%
Hispanic 4.23% 3.07% 31.78%

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

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

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"du Pont last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/dupont-surname-popularity/.

"du Pont last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/dupont-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 July, 2024

du Pont last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/dupont-surname-popularity/.

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