2000
#7,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,393
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Labonte
French occupational surname referring to a person who was a good climber or worked in high places.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,929 Americans carry the last name Labonte. That puts it at #7,475 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,538 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Labonte 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
4.9K
1 in 69,538
Census rank
#7,475
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,298 bearers of the surname Labonte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7475th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Labonte, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Labonte
The surname LABONTE originated in France during the late Middle Ages, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It is derived from the Old French words "la" and "bonte," which translate to "the goodness" or "the kindness." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon an individual known for their benevolent nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LABONTE surname can be found in the Livre Ancien, a collection of manuscripts dating back to the 13th century. These documents contain references to individuals bearing the name, indicating its presence in the region during that period.
The LABONTE name also appears in the records of the historic Norman town of Rouen, where a family bearing this surname is mentioned in connection with a land dispute in the late 14th century. This provides evidence of the name's establishment in the area during that era.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jean LABONTE (1412-1487) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Caen, Normandy. His legacy is documented in various historical records, showcasing the influence and prominence of the LABONTE name during that time.
As the centuries progressed, the LABONTE surname spread beyond its Norman origins. In the 17th century, a French explorer named Pierre LABONTE (1630-1688) is recorded as one of the early settlers in the Canadian province of Quebec, contributing to the dissemination of the name across the Atlantic.
Another significant individual bearing the LABONTE surname was Marie-Anne LABONTE (1755-1819), a French Revolutionary who played an active role in the events of the late 18th century. Her involvement in the revolutionary movement and her writings on political and social issues have been well-documented in historical accounts.
In more recent times, the LABONTE name has been carried by notable figures such as Marcel LABONTE (1890-1962), a celebrated French painter renowned for his impressionistic landscapes, and Gilles LABONTE (born 1948), a Canadian author and journalist whose works have garnered critical acclaim.
While the LABONTE surname has evolved and spread across different regions over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the northern French region of Normandy, where it was borne by individuals recognized for their kindness and benevolence during the late Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Labonte
Among Census respondents with the surname Labonte, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Labonte 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 Labonte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 3,869
- Two or more races3.4% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 128
- Black or African American2.5% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Labonte
Labonte 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
#7,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,706
+313 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#7,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,298
-408 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,031 | 4,393 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,109 | 4,706 | 1.60 | +313 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #7,475 | 4,298 | 1.44 | -408 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 366 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 Labonte 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 | #7,109 | #7,475 | -5.1% |
| Count | 4,706 | 4,298 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.44 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Labonte bearers went from 4,706 to 4,298 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 366 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,109 to #7,475.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Labonte
FAQ
Labonte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Labonte?
Name Census estimates that about 4,929 living Americans carry the surname Labonte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,538 residents.
How common is Labonte?
Labonte ranks #7,475 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.44 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 4,298 people with the surname Labonte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,929), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.44 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 Labonte.
Has Labonte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Labonte went from 4,706 recorded bearers to 4,298. That is a decrease of 408 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,109 to #7,475.
What does the Census say about the background of Labonte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Labonte, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Labonte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (3,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Labonte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Labonte (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 Labonte mean?
French occupational surname referring to a person who was a good climber or worked in high places. 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 Labonte (1.44 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 have the last name Labonte?
Want to know how many people have the last name Labonte? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.