2000
#10,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,909
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Girouard
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of darts, crossbow bolts, or arrow shafts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,188 Americans carry the last name Girouard. That puts it at #10,943 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girouard 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
3.2K
1 in 107,514
Census rank
#10,943
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,780 bearers of the surname Girouard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10943rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girouard, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girouard
Among Census respondents with the surname Girouard, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Girouard 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 Girouard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 2,552
- Black or African American3.6% · 100
- Two or more races2.4% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girouard
Girouard 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
#10,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,941
+32 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 653 places
2020
#10,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,780
-161 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,176 | 2,909 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,829 | 2,941 | 1.00 | +32 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 653 places |
| 2020 | #10,943 | 2,780 | 0.93 | -161 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 114 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 Girouard 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 | #10,829 | #10,943 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,941 | 2,780 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.93 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girouard bearers went from 2,941 to 2,780 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,829 to #10,943.
FAQ
Girouard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girouard?
Name Census estimates that about 3,188 living Americans carry the surname Girouard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,514 residents.
How common is Girouard?
Girouard ranks #10,943 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 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 2,780 people with the surname Girouard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 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 Girouard.
Has Girouard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girouard went from 2,941 recorded bearers to 2,780. That is a decrease of 161 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,829 to #10,943.
What does the Census say about the background of Girouard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girouard, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Girouard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (2,552 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girouard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Black (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Girouard (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 Girouard mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of darts, crossbow bolts, or arrow shafts. 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 Girouard (0.93 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 Girouard?
Find out how many people have the last name Girouard on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.