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

Gagnon, 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 Gagnon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gagnon in America

Gagnon is the 1697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gagnon surname appeared 21,208 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 Gagnon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gagnon 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 Gagnon

The surname Gagnon has its origins in France and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational surname, derived from the French place name Gagné, which is believed to have originated from the Latin word "ganeatus," meaning "uncultivated land." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived or worked on uncultivated land.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Gagnon can be found in the 12th century, in the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Gagnon, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Gagné in the late 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Gagnon appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Domesday Book, a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name was also found in the Cartulaire de Redon, a collection of medieval charters and deeds from the Abbey of Redon in Brittany.

As the centuries passed, the Gagnon family spread across different regions of France, and the name underwent minor spelling variations, such as Gagneau, Gagnier, and Gagniard. Some notable individuals with the surname Gagnon throughout history include:

1. Jean Gagnon (1560-1628), a French merchant and explorer who was among the first Europeans to settle in what is now Quebec, Canada.
2. Julien Gagnon (1687-1736), a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer who established trading posts in the Great Lakes region.
3. Lucille Gagnon (1853-1925), a French-Canadian writer and educator known for her works promoting women's rights and education.
4. Léonard Gagnon (1887-1964), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.
5. Simone Gagnon (1929-2018), a Canadian sculptor and visual artist known for her abstract and minimalist works.

The name Gagnon has also been associated with various place names, particularly in France and Canada, such as Gagnon, Quebec, a municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, and Lac Gagnon, a lake located in the same province.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gagnon

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

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

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

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