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

Garceau, 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 Garceau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garceau in America

Garceau is the 17337th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garceau surname appeared 1,630 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 Garceau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garceau 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 Garceau

The surname GARCEAU originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "garceau," meaning "young man" or "boy." The name likely originated as a nickname for a young man or a diminutive form of a given name like Garcin or Garce.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. It appears in medieval records and manuscripts, although specific references are scarce due to the age of the name.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname GARCEAU was Jean Garceau, a merchant who lived in Paris in the late 14th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Pierre Garceau, a soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the GARCEAU surname spread to other parts of Europe, particularly to the Low Countries (present-day Belgium and the Netherlands). During this time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Garcau, Garseau, and Garsau.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname GARCEAU was Étienne Garceau, a French playwright and poet born in 1672 in Lyon. He was known for his satirical works and his contributions to the French literary scene during the Age of Enlightenment.

Another notable GARCEAU was Marie-Anne Garceau, a French Canadian settler who was born in 1699 and was among the first settlers of the colony of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick). She is considered an important figure in the history of French Canadian settlement in North America.

As the name spread across Europe and eventually to the Americas, variations in spelling continued to emerge, including Garceaux, Garcault, and Garcio. However, the original French spelling of GARCEAU remained the most common form of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garceau

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

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

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

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