2000
#21,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,165
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Ladouceur
A French surname meaning "the sweet one" or "the gentle one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,466 Americans carry the last name Ladouceur. That puts it at #20,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 233,802 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ladouceur 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
1.5K
1 in 233,802
Census rank
#20,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,278 bearers of the surname Ladouceur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladouceur, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ladouceur
The surname LADOUCEUR originated in France, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the French phrase "la douceur," which translates to "sweetness" or "gentleness." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a kind or mild-mannered personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LADOUCEUR surname can be found in the parish records of Normandy, where a certain Jean LADOUCEUR was documented in 1587. The name also appears in various historical documents from the regions of Brittany and Picardy during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the LADOUCEUR name gained prominence with the birth of François LADOUCEUR (1700-1782), a renowned French poet and philosopher. His works, which celebrated the virtues of kindness and compassion, contributed to the widespread recognition of the LADOUCEUR name.
Another notable individual with this surname was Marie-Thérèse LADOUCEUR (1745-1821), a French aristocrat and philanthropist known for her charitable works and support for education initiatives in her region.
As the LADOUCEUR family spread across France, variations in spelling emerged, including LADOUSEUR, LADOUCAIRS, and LADOUSAIRS. Some branches of the family also adopted the name DOUCECRÉE, which translates to "sweet creation" or "gentle birth."
In the 19th century, the LADOUCEUR name found its way to Canada, where André LADOUCEUR (1832-1912), a successful businessman and community leader, established himself in Quebec. His descendants continue to carry on the LADOUCEUR legacy in various parts of the country.
One of the most celebrated figures with this surname was the French novelist and playwright, Émile LADOUCEUR (1876-1948), whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition with remarkable sensitivity and depth.
Throughout its long history, the surname LADOUCEUR has been associated with individuals who embodied the qualities of kindness, gentleness, and compassion, reflecting the essence of its etymological roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ladouceur
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladouceur, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ladouceur 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 Ladouceur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 936
- Black or African American18.9% · 241
- Two or more races4.6% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ladouceur
Ladouceur 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
#20,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,289
+124 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 460 places
2020
#20,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,278
-11 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 356 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,025 | 1,165 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,565 | 1,289 | 0.44 | +124 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 460 places |
| 2020 | #20,921 | 1,278 | 0.43 | -11 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 356 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 Ladouceur 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 | #20,565 | #20,921 | -1.7% |
| Count | 1,289 | 1,278 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.43 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ladouceur bearers went from 1,289 to 1,278 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 356 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,565 to #20,921.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ladouceur
FAQ
Ladouceur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ladouceur?
Name Census estimates that about 1,466 living Americans carry the surname Ladouceur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 233,802 residents.
How common is Ladouceur?
Ladouceur ranks #20,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,278 people with the surname Ladouceur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,466), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ladouceur.
Has Ladouceur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ladouceur went from 1,289 recorded bearers to 1,278. That is a decrease of 11 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,565 to #20,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Ladouceur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladouceur, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Ladouceur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (936 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ladouceur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (18.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Ladouceur (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 Ladouceur mean?
A French surname meaning "the sweet one" or "the gentle one." 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 Ladouceur (0.43 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 Americans have the surname Ladouceur?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.