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

LaDuke, 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 LaDuke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaDuke in America

LaDuke is the 12231st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaDuke surname appeared 2,544 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname LaDuke.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaDuke 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 LaDuke

The surname LaDuke is of French origin, deriving from the Old French words "la" meaning "the" and "duce" meaning "leader" or "duke". The name can be traced back to the 12th century in the Normandy region of northern France.

This name was likely originally used to refer to someone who held a position of authority or leadership, perhaps a local lord or nobleman. It may have also been used ironically to describe someone who exhibited a sense of self-importance or acted in a commanding manner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LaDuke name appears in the 1180 Pipe Rolls of King Henry II, which documented tax records and landholdings. An entry lists a "Robertus le Duce" who held lands in the village of Carentan.

In the 13th century, variations of the spelling started to emerge, such as "Leduc", "Leducc", and "Laduce". These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping at the time.

The LaDuke name can be found in several medieval manuscripts and records from Normandy and the surrounding regions. One notable example is a 1321 charter from the Abbey of Fécamp, which mentions a "Johannes Laduce" as a witness.

As the name spread across France and into other parts of Europe, it continued to evolve in spelling and pronunciation. In the 16th century, the spelling "LaDuke" became more common, particularly among those who emigrated to the New World.

One of the earliest recorded LaDukes in America was Jean LaDuke, a French Huguenot who arrived in New York in the late 17th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was Pierre LaDuke, a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer who was active in the Great Lakes region in the 18th century.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the LaDuke surname, including:

1. Jacques LaDuke (1674-1743), a French-Canadian military officer and explorer who led expeditions into the American Midwest.
2. Marie LaDuke (1809-1891), a French-American philanthropist and social activist from New Orleans.
3. Winona LaDuke (born 1959), a Native American environmental activist, economist, and author known for her work on tribal land issues.
4. Robert LaDuke (born 1945), an American actor and writer best known for his roles in television series such as "The Rockford Files" and "Hill Street Blues".
5. James LaDuke (1915-2004), an American professional basketball player who played for several teams in the Basketball Association of America (precursor to the NBA) in the 1940s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaDuke

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

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

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

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