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

Fontenot, 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 Fontenot surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fontenot in America

Fontenot is the 1792nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fontenot surname appeared 20,035 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Fontenot.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fontenot 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 Fontenot

The surname Fontenot originated in France during the early 16th century. It derives from the French term "fontaine" meaning "spring" or "fountain," and the diminutive suffix "-ot" which was commonly used in French surnames. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small spring or fountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fontenot surname can be found in the village of La Fontenotte in the Burgundy region of France. This village was mentioned in historical records dating back to the early 1500s, and it is believed that the Fontenot family name originated from this location.

As the Fontenot family spread throughout France, variations in spelling began to appear, such as Fonteneau, Fontenault, and Fonteneau. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation.

During the 17th century, a significant number of French settlers, including those with the Fontenot surname, immigrated to the territory of Acadia in what is now eastern Canada. One notable Fontenot from this period was Jacques Fontenot, who was born in France in 1638 and later settled in Acadia.

In the late 18th century, many Acadian families, including the Fontenots, were forcibly expelled from their homes by the British authorities during the Great Upheaval, also known as the Expulsion of the Acadians. Many Fontenot families eventually found refuge in Louisiana, where the name became well-established.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, several notable individuals with the Fontenot surname emerged. These include:

1. Edmond Fontenot (1870-1948), a prominent Cajun musician and songwriter from Louisiana.
2. Alphonse Fontenot (1881-1958), a Louisiana politician who served as a state representative.
3. Amédée Fontenot (1892-1972), a Cajun fiddler and composer from Louisiana.
4. Paul Fontenot (1923-2007), a World War II veteran and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.
5. Zachary Fontenot (born 1981), an American football coach and former player.

The Fontenot surname has remained prevalent in Louisiana and other parts of the southern United States, where it is closely associated with the Cajun and Creole cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fontenot

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

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

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

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