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

Foucault, 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 Foucault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foucault in America

Foucault is the 51941st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foucault surname appeared 400 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Foucault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foucault 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 Foucault

The surname Foucault originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "foucault," which referred to a small falcon or hawk used for hunting. This word itself comes from the Latin "falco," meaning falcon.

The name likely arose as a descriptive nickname for someone who had traits associated with these birds, such as keen eyesight or a predatory nature. It may have also referred to someone who worked as a falconer or in a profession related to falconry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fulcaldus." This entry refers to a landowner in Gloucestershire, England, indicating that the name had already spread from its French origins.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records in the form of "Foucault" and "Foucaut." For example, a Jean Foucault is mentioned in a charter from Champagne in 1279, while a Robert Foucaut appears in records from Normandy in 1295.

Over time, the name took on various spellings, including Foucault, Foucauld, Foucaudet, and Foucaudey, reflecting regional linguistic variations and adaptations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Foucault include:

1. Charles-René Foucault (1819-1868), a French physicist best known for his invention of the Foucault pendulum, which demonstrated the Earth's rotation.

2. Michel Foucault (1926-1984), a highly influential French philosopher, historian of ideas, and social theorist, known for his works on power, knowledge, and discourse.

3. Joseph Fourier (1768-1830), a French mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of heat transfer and is renowned for his development of Fourier series and Fourier analysis.

4. Léon Foucault (1819-1868), a French physicist and inventor who made important contributions to the fields of optics and mechanics, including the invention of the Foucault pendulum and the Foucault test for telescope mirrors.

5. Charles-Nicolas-Joseph Foucault (1801-1867), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Augustin and the Basilica of Saint-Clotilde.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foucault

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

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

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

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