2000
#6,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,597
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Gaudet
A French occupational surname referring to someone who was a juggler or entertainer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,329 Americans carry the last name Gaudet. That puts it at #6,967 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaudet 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
5.3K
1 in 64,319
Census rank
#6,967
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,647 bearers of the surname Gaudet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6967th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaudet, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaudet
The surname Gaudet is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages in the regions of Normandy and Poitou. It is derived from the Old French word "gaudier," meaning "to rejoice" or "to enjoy," suggesting a connection to a cheerful or joyful disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gaudet can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Normandy before the Norman Conquest of England.
During the 13th century, the surname Gaudet appeared in various medieval records and documents, including the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census of landowners in England conducted in 1273. This indicates that members of the Gaudet family had begun to settle in England after the Norman Conquest.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Gaudet was Jean Gaudet, a French nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War against England. He was born around 1320 and served as a captain under King John II of France.
Another notable Gaudet was Jacques Gaudet, a French Protestant theologian and author who lived during the 16th century (c. 1540-1617). He wrote several influential works on religious doctrine and was known for his defense of the Reformed faith.
In the 17th century, the name Gaudet was found in various records from the French province of Poitou, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable bearer of the name was Pierre Gaudet (c. 1620-1690), a wealthy landowner and merchant from the town of Poitiers.
During the 18th century, a distinguished figure with the surname Gaudet was Jacques-Joseph Gaudet (1713-1788), a French magistrate and jurist who served as a judge in the Parliament of Paris. He was renowned for his legal expertise and wrote several treatises on French law.
In the 19th century, the Gaudet name gained prominence in Canada, particularly in the province of Quebec, where many French settlers had established themselves. One notable Canadian Gaudet was Édouard Gaudet (1834-1909), a French-Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaudet
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaudet, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaudet 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 Gaudet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 4,218
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 193
- Two or more races2.8% · 129
- Black or African American1.5% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaudet
Gaudet 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
#6,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,814
+217 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#6,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,647
-167 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,757 | 4,597 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,969 | 4,814 | 1.63 | +217 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #6,967 | 4,647 | 1.55 | -167 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 2 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 Gaudet 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 | #6,969 | #6,967 | 0.0% |
| Count | 4,814 | 4,647 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.55 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaudet bearers went from 4,814 to 4,647 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,969 to #6,967.
FAQ
Gaudet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaudet?
Name Census estimates that about 5,329 living Americans carry the surname Gaudet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,319 residents.
How common is Gaudet?
Gaudet ranks #6,967 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,647 people with the surname Gaudet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,329), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gaudet.
Has Gaudet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaudet went from 4,814 recorded bearers to 4,647. That is a decrease of 167 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,969 to #6,967.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaudet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaudet, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Gaudet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (4,218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaudet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Gaudet (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 Gaudet mean?
A French occupational surname referring to someone who was a juggler or entertainer. 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 Gaudet (1.55 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 people share the surname Gaudet?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.