2000
#16,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,552
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Favreau
A French surname derived from the word "favre" meaning blacksmith or smith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,853 Americans carry the last name Favreau. That puts it at #17,160 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 184,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Favreau surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 184,973
Census rank
#17,160
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,616 bearers of the surname Favreau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17160th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Favreau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 13th century, the name Favreau appeared in various historical documents and records, including the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Père de Chartres.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Favreau
Among Census respondents with the surname Favreau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Favreau bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Favreau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 1,509
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 46
- Two or more races2.7% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Favreau
Favreau appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,629
+77 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 431 places
2020
#17,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,616
-13 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,914 | 1,552 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,345 | 1,629 | 0.55 | +77 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 431 places |
| 2020 | #17,160 | 1,616 | 0.54 | -13 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 185 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Favreau surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,345 | #17,160 | 1.1% |
| Count | 1,629 | 1,616 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.54 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Favreau bearers went from 1,629 to 1,616 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 185 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,345 to #17,160.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Favreau
FAQ
Favreau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Favreau?
Name Census estimates that about 1,853 living Americans carry the surname Favreau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 184,973 residents.
How common is Favreau?
Favreau ranks #17,160 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,616 people with the surname Favreau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,853), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Favreau.
Has Favreau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Favreau went from 1,629 recorded bearers to 1,616. That is a decrease of 13 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,345 to #17,160.
What does the Census say about the background of Favreau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Favreau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Favreau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (1,509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Favreau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Favreau (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Favreau mean?
A French surname derived from the word "favre" meaning blacksmith or smith. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Favreau (0.54 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Favreau?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.