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

Gélinas, 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 Gélinas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gélinas in America

Gélinas is the 12148th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gélinas surname appeared 2,565 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 Gélinas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gélinas 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 Gélinas

The surname Gelinas has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It first emerged in the 11th century, derived from the Old French words "gel" meaning frost or ice, and "nas," a nose or nasal sound. The name likely referred to someone with a prominent nose, perhaps one that was reddened or discolored due to the cold weather conditions in Normandy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gelinas name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a Norman knight named Gelinas who was granted lands in Hampshire after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the Gelinas name appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts, often with slight variations in spelling such as Gellinas, Gellyna, or Gelline. These variations were common due to the inconsistent nature of record-keeping and spelling conventions at the time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Gelinas was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Rouen, Normandy. He was known for his successful business dealings and involvement in local politics.

Another noteworthy individual bearing the Gelinas surname was Marie Gelinas, a French noblewoman born in 1547. She was a renowned patron of the arts and supported various artists and writers during the Renaissance period.

In the 17th century, the Gelinas name gained prominence through the exploits of Pierre Gelinas, a French explorer and fur trader who traveled extensively in the Canadian wilderness and established trading relationships with Indigenous communities.

Later, in the 19th century, a French writer and poet named Émile Gelinas (1828-1901) achieved recognition for his poetic works that celebrated the beauty of the French countryside and rural life.

One of the most famous individuals with the Gelinas surname was Jacques Gelinas (1909-1995), a celebrated Canadian playwright and actor. He was a pioneer of French-Canadian theater and played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of Quebec during the 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gélinas

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

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

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

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