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

Gingras, 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 Gingras surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gingras in America

Gingras is the 11846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gingras surname appeared 2,642 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 Gingras.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gingras 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 Gingras

The surname Gingras has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "gingre," which means "ginger-colored" or "reddish-brown."

One of the earliest known references to the Gingras name can be found in the Cartulaire de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the 11th and 12th centuries. This manuscript mentions a person named "Robertus Gingras" who lived in the region of Chartres, France.

The name Gingras is also present in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record includes entries for individuals with the surname Gingras, indicating that the name had already spread to England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, there are records of a noble family named Gingras residing in the village of Gingras, located in the department of Eure-et-Loir, France. This village likely took its name from the family, as it was common practice at the time for prominent landowners to have places named after them.

One notable figure bearing the Gingras surname was Jean Gingras (1616-1690), a French merchant and explorer who established trade routes in the Great Lakes region of North America. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore and document the area that is now the state of Michigan.

Another prominent individual was Marie-Jeanne Gingras (1720-1788), a French Canadian settler who played a significant role in the founding of the city of Detroit, Michigan. She was one of the earliest European settlers in the area and is celebrated for her contributions to the development of the region.

In the 19th century, Louis-Honoré Gingras (1818-1891) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. He was instrumental in the establishment of several educational institutions in the province.

Émile Gingras (1853-1928) was a renowned Canadian sculptor and painter, known for his works depicting scenes from Quebec's rural life and landscapes. His artistic legacy has been celebrated through numerous exhibitions and retrospectives.

Finally, Gabrielle Gingras (1906-1988) was a French Canadian actress and producer who had a prolific career in both theater and film. She is regarded as one of the pioneers of Quebec's modern theater movement and was instrumental in promoting French-Canadian culture through her performances and productions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gingras

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

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

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

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