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

Gourneau, 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 Gourneau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gourneau in America

Gourneau is the 47107th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gourneau surname appeared 451 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gourneau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gourneau 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 Gourneau

The surname GOURNEAU is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of Normandy and Brittany during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "gournel," which refers to a type of drinking vessel or jar, suggesting that the name may have initially been an occupational name for a maker or seller of such vessels.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOURNEAU surname can be found in the 13th century, with the mention of a Raoul Gourneau in the archives of the Normandy region. This early reference indicates that the name had already established itself in northern France by this time.

During the 14th century, the GOURNEAU name appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the tax rolls of the city of Rennes in Brittany. This suggests that the name had spread to other regions of France and was associated with both urban and rural communities.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the GOURNEAU surname was Jean Gourneau, a merchant and landowner from the town of Dieppe in Normandy. Records from this era also mention a Guillaume Gourneau, a farmer from the village of Gournay-en-Bray, which may have been an early spelling variant or place-name origin of the surname.

Moving into the 16th century, the GOURNEAU name gained further prominence with the birth of Pierre Gourneau (1518-1582), a French theologian and scholar who studied at the University of Paris and later became a canon of the Cathedral of Rouen.

Another significant figure was Jacques Gourneau (1572-1639), a French military officer and engineer who served under King Henry IV and was involved in the construction of fortifications and defensive works during the Wars of Religion.

In the 17th century, the GOURNEAU surname was borne by several notable individuals, including Marie Gourneau (1625-1701), a French writer and poet who was a member of the literary salon of Madame de Rambouillet.

As the GOURNEAU name spread across France and into other regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Gournau, Gournault, and Gournel, reflecting local dialects and linguistic adaptations.

Throughout history, the GOURNEAU surname has been carried by a diverse range of individuals, from scholars and writers to merchants and military figures, reflecting the rich tapestry of French society and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gourneau

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

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

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

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