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

LaChance, 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 LaChance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaChance in America

LaChance is the 5988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaChance surname appeared 5,744 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname LaChance.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaChance 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 LaChance

The surname Lachance originated in France during the late medieval period. It derives from the Old French phrase "la chance," meaning "the chance" or "the fortune." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone perceived as fortunate or lucky.

The earliest known record of this surname dates back to the late 13th century in Normandy, where a person named Guilleaume Lachance was mentioned in the census rolls of the village of Rouen in 1289. Over the following centuries, the name spread to other regions of northern France, with variations in spelling such as Lachanse and Lachanse.

During the Renaissance, the Lachance family gained some prominence in the city of Lyon. Notable individuals from this era include the merchant Jacques Lachance (1512-1579) and the poet Pierre Lachance (1537-1612), whose works were included in anthologies of the time.

As the French colonial empire expanded, the name Lachance began appearing in records from the Americas. One of the earliest examples is Jean-Baptiste Lachance (1635-1705), a settler who arrived in Quebec, Canada, in 1665 and founded a farming community near what is now Montreal.

In the 18th century, the Lachance family had a presence in the Caribbean, with members such as the plantation owner François Lachance (1721-1793) and his son, the military officer Antoine Lachance (1756-1822), who served in the French Revolutionary Wars.

Throughout the 19th century, the name Lachance remained prominent in both France and its former colonies. Noteworthy individuals from this period include the French painter Eugène Lachance (1817-1888), the Canadian politician Joseph Lachance (1825-1901), and the Haitian writer and philosopher Anténor Lachance (1859-1932).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaChance

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

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

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

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