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

Girouard, 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 Girouard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Girouard in America

Girouard is the 10829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Girouard surname appeared 2,941 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 Girouard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Girouard 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 Girouard

The surname Girouard is of French origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period in France. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "girer" and "ouard," which respectively mean "to turn" and "guard" or "watchman." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who had occupations related to guarding or patrolling, perhaps as sentries or watchmen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Girouard surname can be found in the historic Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document includes references to individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "Girouart" and "Girouarde," indicating the presence of the surname in Normandy and other parts of northern France during the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Girouard family established a presence in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Loire Valley. Some historical records suggest that members of the Girouard family were involved in military service, potentially serving as guards or sentries in castles or fortified towns.

One notable figure with the Girouard surname was Jean Girouard (1545-1618), a French soldier and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore parts of what is now eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

Another prominent individual bearing the Girouard name was Pierre Girouard (1765-1838), a French-Canadian businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of the city of Montreal. He was involved in various commercial ventures and owned extensive property holdings in the region.

In the 19th century, Louis Girouard (1825-1892) was a renowned French-Canadian educator and author. He founded several schools and educational institutions in Quebec and wrote extensively on topics related to education and French-Canadian culture.

Léon Girouard (1890-1970) was a French military officer and civil engineer who served in both World Wars. He is particularly notable for his role in overseeing the construction of the Suez Canal during the early 20th century.

Lastly, Désiré Girouard (1836-1911) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada and held various political offices in the province of Quebec.

While the Girouard surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other regions with significant French-speaking populations or historical ties to France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Girouard

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

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

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

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