2000
#4,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,606
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.82
Rare Last name
Lacroix
A French topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a cross or crucifix, or a crossroads.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,973 Americans carry the last name Lacroix. That puts it at #4,387 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,198 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lacroix 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lacroix with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 38,198
Census rank
#4,387
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,825 bearers of the surname Lacroix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4387th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacroix, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lacroix
The surname Lacroix has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French phrase "la croix," which translates to "the cross." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent cross or roadside shrine.
During the medieval period, many surnames were adopted based on geographic locations, occupations, or physical characteristics. Lacroix was likely a descriptive surname given to those residing near a notable cross or landmark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lacroix can be found in the Livre des métiers, a document from Paris in the 13th century, which listed various trades and professions. This suggests that the name was already in use by this time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the records of the city of Bordeaux, where a certain Jean Lacroix was mentioned as a merchant. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original region and was being used by individuals in different professions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Lacroix. One of the most famous was Camille Lacroix (1795-1859), a French historian and writer who authored numerous works on the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era.
Another notable figure was Frédéric Lacroix (1835-1908), a French painter and illustrator known for his works depicting historical events and literary scenes. His paintings can be found in various museums across France.
In the field of science, Henri Lacroix (1892-1974) was a renowned French mathematician and physicist. He made significant contributions to the study of differential equations and celestial mechanics.
The name Lacroix also has a connection to literature. Félicité Robert de Lamennais (1782-1854), better known by his pen name Lamennais, was a French philosopher and writer who used the pseudonym Lacroix in some of his early works.
In the realm of music, Paul Lacroix (1806-1884), better known as P.L. Jacob, was a French writer and music critic who wrote extensively about opera and classical music under the pen name Bibliophile Jacob.
These examples demonstrate the wide-ranging fields in which individuals bearing the surname Lacroix have made significant contributions throughout history, solidifying its place as a prominent French surname with deep roots and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lacroix
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacroix, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lacroix 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 Lacroix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 6,223
- Black or African American9.7% · 762
- Two or more races4.4% · 348
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 305
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lacroix
Lacroix 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
#4,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,003
+397 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.71
Rank movement Down 115 places
2020
#4,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,825
-178 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Up 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,321 | 7,606 | 2.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,436 | 8,003 | 2.71 | +397 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 115 places |
| 2020 | #4,387 | 7,825 | 2.62 | -178 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 49 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 Lacroix 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 | #4,436 | #4,387 | 1.1% |
| Count | 8,003 | 7,825 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.71 | 2.62 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lacroix bearers went from 8,003 to 7,825 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,436 to #4,387.
FAQ
Lacroix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lacroix?
Name Census estimates that about 8,973 living Americans carry the surname Lacroix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,198 residents.
How common is Lacroix?
Lacroix ranks #4,387 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,825 people with the surname Lacroix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,973), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Lacroix.
Has Lacroix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lacroix went from 8,003 recorded bearers to 7,825. That is a decrease of 178 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,436 to #4,387.
What does the Census say about the background of Lacroix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacroix, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Lacroix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (6,223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lacroix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (9.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Lacroix (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 Lacroix mean?
A French topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a cross or crucifix, or a crossroads. 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 Lacroix (2.62 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 share the surname Lacroix?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.