Favreau last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Favreau

A French surname derived from the word "favre" meaning blacksmith or smith.

Favreau, 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 Favreau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Favreau in America

Favreau is the 17345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Favreau surname appeared 1,629 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 Favreau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Favreau 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 17345 16914 2.52%
Count 1,629 1,552 4.84%
Proportion per 100k 0.55 0.58 -5.31%

The history of the last name Favreau

The surname Favreau originated in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "fevre," which means "smith" or "blacksmith." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked as blacksmiths or metalworkers.

The name Favreau can be traced back to the 11th century, with early records showing variations in spelling such as Fèvre, Lefèvre, and Lefevre. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholders in England after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name Favreau appeared in various historical documents and records, including the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Père de Chartres. This cartulary mentions a certain Robert Favreau, who lived in the region of Chartres during that time.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Favreau was Jean Favreau, a French poet and philosopher who lived from 1472 to 1537. He was known for his humanist writings and his contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of the Renaissance period.

In the 17th century, the Favreau family established themselves in the city of Orléans, where they were involved in the textile trade. One prominent member of the family was Jacques Favreau (1628-1708), a renowned merchant and businessman who played a significant role in the economic development of Orléans.

During the 18th century, the Favreau name gained prominence in the military circles of France. Jean-Baptiste Favreau (1728-1804) was a French general who served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, distinguishing himself in several battles and campaigns.

Another notable figure was Louis Favreau (1786-1858), a French engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and early railway systems. His innovations played a crucial role in the industrialization of France during the 19th century.

As the Favreau family spread across France and beyond, the name also evolved and adapted to different regions and linguistic influences. Some variations of the surname include Favrot, Favrey, and Favré, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Favreau

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

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 Favreau was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.75% 1,576
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.55% 9
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.80% 13
Hispanic Origin 1.47% 24

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 Favreau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.75% 97.81% -1.09%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.55% 0.32% 52.87%
Two or More Races 0.80% 0.97% -19.21%
Hispanic 1.47% 0.58% 86.83%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Favreau last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/favreau-surname-popularity/.

"Favreau last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/favreau-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

Favreau last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/favreau-surname-popularity/.

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