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

LaFontaine, 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 LaFontaine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaFontaine in America

LaFontaine is the 8964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaFontaine surname appeared 3,652 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 LaFontaine.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaFontaine 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 LaFontaine

The surname LAFONTAINE is of French origin, derived from the French words "la" meaning "the" and "fontaine" meaning "fountain" or "spring". It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a natural spring or well.

The earliest recorded instances of the name LAFONTAINE can be traced back to the 12th century in France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is likely that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to distinguish individuals by their place of residence or a notable geographical feature near their dwelling.

In the Domesday Book, a census survey conducted in 1086 for William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname LAFONTAINE. However, there are mentions of place names containing the word "fontaine" or "fonte," which may have been precursors to the later development of the surname.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname LAFONTAINE was Jean de La Fontaine, a renowned French fabulist and poet who lived from 1621 to 1695. His collection of fables, known as "Fables of La Fontaine," is considered a masterpiece of French literature and has been widely translated and enjoyed across the world.

Another notable figure with the surname LAFONTAINE was Henri Marie Lafontaine, a Belgian international lawyer and peace activist who lived from 1854 to 1943. He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1913 for his efforts in promoting the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

In the field of literature, Marcel Lafontaine (1854-1913) was a French novelist and playwright known for his works exploring social themes and the lives of working-class people in Paris.

In the world of sports, Jacques Lafontaine (born 1963) is a former professional ice hockey player from Canada who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams like the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres.

Finally, Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was a French classical era Baroque poet best known for his Fables, which are considered a masterpiece of French literature.

While the surname LAFONTAINE has French roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to regions with French colonial influence or significant French immigration, such as Canada, the United States, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaFontaine

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!