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

Lacan, 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 Lacan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lacan in America

Lacan is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lacan surname appeared 219 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 Lacan.

The history of the last name Lacan

The surname Lacan has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Brittany. It is believed to have emerged around the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old Breton or Gaulish word "lan," which means a heath or shrubland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lacan can be found in the medieval Breton cartulary of Redon Abbey, dated around 1160. This document mentions a landowner named Yvon Lacan, who held property near the town of Rennes.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various charters and records related to the Duchy of Brittany. For example, a knight named Alain Lacan is mentioned in a charter from 1245, granting him lands in the region of Saint-Malo.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Lacan family seems to have been well-established in the area around Rennes and Nantes. Several members of the family held positions of prominence, such as Jean Lacan (1382-1457), who served as a councilor to the Duke of Brittany.

In the 16th century, the name Lacan appears in the records of the French Protestant Reformation. One notable figure was Jacques Lacan (1501-1564), a Calvinist minister and theologian who played a role in the spread of Protestant teachings in Brittany.

Another significant individual bearing the surname Lacan was René Lacan (1623-1694), a French mathematician and astronomer. He made important contributions to the development of calculus and was a member of the French Academy of Sciences.

Fast-forwarding to the 18th century, the name Lacan is associated with the French Revolution. François Lacan (1749-1794) was a revolutionary and member of the Jacobin Club, who was guillotined during the Reign of Terror.

Throughout history, variations of the spelling have included Lacant, Lachan, and Laquant, often reflecting regional dialects or scribal variations. The name has also been linked to various place names in Brittany, such as Lacanton and Lachanen.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lacan

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

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 Lacan 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.

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

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

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