2000
#6,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,539
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Gendron
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cendal, a fine silk fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,105 Americans carry the last name Gendron. That puts it at #7,229 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,141 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gendron 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
5.1K
1 in 67,141
Census rank
#7,229
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,452 bearers of the surname Gendron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7229th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gendron, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gendron
The surname Gendron originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "gendar," which means "soldier" or "warrior." The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname for someone who worked as a soldier or displayed characteristics associated with military service.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gendron surname date back to the 12th century in regions of northern and central France, such as Normandy and the Île-de-France. The name is also found in medieval records from the Brittany region, where it may have been influenced by the Breton language.
One of the earliest documented references to the Gendron name appears in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of charters from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France, dating back to the late 12th century. This record mentions a person named Robertus Gendron, suggesting the surname's existence during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name Gendron can be found in various manuscripts and records from different parts of France, including the Normandy region. For example, a document from the Abbey of Fécamp, located in Normandy, mentions a Ricardus Gendron in 1248.
Over the centuries, the Gendron surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Jean Gendron, a French poet and playwright who lived in the 15th century. His works include the play "Le Mystère de la Passion," which was performed in Paris in 1490.
Another notable figure was Pierre Gendron (1599-1665), a French physician and philosopher who served as the personal doctor to King Louis XIII. He is known for his contributions to the field of medicine and his writings on natural philosophy.
In the 18th century, Jacques Gendron (1701-1788) was a prominent French architect and engineer. He designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and the Théâtre de l'Odéon.
During the 19th century, André Gendron (1818-1899) was a French military officer and politician who served as a deputy in the National Assembly and was involved in the defense of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.
One of the most recent notable individuals with the Gendron surname was Maurice Gendron (1920-1990), a renowned French cellist and teacher. He was celebrated for his interpretations of Bach's cello suites and his contributions to the cello repertoire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gendron
Among Census respondents with the surname Gendron, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gendron 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 Gendron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 4,061
- Two or more races3.8% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 25
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gendron
Gendron 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
#7,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,537
-2 bearers (-0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 516 places
2020
#7,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,452
-85 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Up 116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,829 | 4,539 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,345 | 4,537 | 1.54 | -2 bearers (-0.0%) | Down 516 places |
| 2020 | #7,229 | 4,452 | 1.49 | -85 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 116 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 Gendron 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 | #7,345 | #7,229 | 1.6% |
| Count | 4,537 | 4,452 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.49 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gendron bearers went from 4,537 to 4,452 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 116 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,345 to #7,229.
FAQ
Gendron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gendron?
Name Census estimates that about 5,105 living Americans carry the surname Gendron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,141 residents.
How common is Gendron?
Gendron ranks #7,229 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,452 people with the surname Gendron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gendron.
Has Gendron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gendron went from 4,537 recorded bearers to 4,452. That is a decrease of 85 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,345 to #7,229.
What does the Census say about the background of Gendron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gendron, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Gendron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (4,061 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gendron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Gendron (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 Gendron mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cendal, a fine silk fabric. 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 Gendron (1.49 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 are called Gendron?
Find out how many people are called Gendron on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.