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

Gendreau, 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 Gendreau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gendreau in America

Gendreau is the 14505th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gendreau surname appeared 2,057 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 Gendreau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gendreau 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 Gendreau

The surname GENDREAU is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the northern regions of France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "gendror," which means "son-in-law" or "brother-in-law." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone who married into a prominent family.

The earliest known record of the GENDREAU name appears in the 13th century, in a document from the Normandy region of France. This document mentions a certain Renaud Gendreau, who was a landowner and farmer in the village of Caux. The name is also found in various medieval manuscripts and records from other parts of northern France, such as Picardy and Île-de-France.

One of the most notable historical figures with the GENDREAU surname was Jean Gendreau (1580-1648), a French philosopher and theologian who was a professor at the University of Paris. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several works on metaphysics and theology.

Another prominent GENDREAU was Pierre Gendreau (1632-1701), a French architect who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the Palais du Luxembourg. His architectural style was heavily influenced by the Baroque and Classical traditions.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the GENDREAU name also spread to other parts of Europe, including Belgium and Switzerland. One notable individual from this period was Charles-Henri Gendreau (1745-1820), a Swiss military officer who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and later served as a general under Napoleon.

The 19th century saw the GENDREAU name appearing in various parts of the world, as French settlers and immigrants carried the name with them. One such individual was François Gendreau (1802-1879), a French-Canadian businessman and politician who played a significant role in the development of the city of Quebec.

Another notable figure was Émile Gendreau (1856-1924), a French explorer and naturalist who conducted extensive research in the Amazon rainforest and contributed to the understanding of the region's flora and fauna.

Throughout its history, the GENDREAU surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, academia, architecture, military service, and exploration. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has spread across continents and cultures, leaving a lasting mark on the diverse tapestry of human history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gendreau

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

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

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

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