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

Lapointe, 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 Lapointe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lapointe in America

Lapointe is the 3995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lapointe surname appeared 8,894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lapointe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lapointe 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 Lapointe

The surname Lapointe originated in France, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the 12th century. The name derives from the Old French words "la" meaning "the" and "pointe" meaning "point" or "tip," likely referring to a geographical location or a physical feature like a promontory or headland.

Lapointe was initially found in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany, where it was often associated with coastal areas or settlements near prominent landforms. Some variations in spelling included Lapointe, Lapointe, and Lapoynte, reflecting regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

One of the earliest known references to the name Lapointe can be found in the Cartulaire de Redon, a medieval cartulary from the Redon Abbey in Brittany, which mentions a certain "Petrus de la Pointe" in 1179. Another early record comes from the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a register of citizens in the city of Rouen, which lists a "Jehan Lapointe" in 1292.

As the name spread across France, it became associated with various families and individuals of note. For example, Jacques de Lapointe (1545-1619) was a prominent jurist and legal scholar from Paris, who served as a counselor in the Parlement of Paris. Another notable figure was René Lapointe (1693-1770), a French naval officer and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the West Indies and the Caribbean.

In the 18th century, the name Lapointe gained further prominence with Jean-Baptiste Lapointe (1722-1804), a French architect who worked on several notable projects, including the renovation of the Château de Compiègne and the construction of the Théâtre de l'Odéon in Paris.

As the French colonial presence expanded, the name Lapointe also took root in other parts of the world. For instance, Louis Lapointe (1773-1842) was a French-Canadian businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Quebec.

Another notable figure was Édouard Lapointe (1866-1919), a French-Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada and as the Mayor of Quebec City.

While the surname Lapointe is most commonly associated with France and its former colonies, it has also been found in other parts of Europe and beyond, likely due to migration and intermarriage. The name continues to be prevalent in various parts of the world, carrying with it a rich historical legacy that stretches back centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lapointe

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

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

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

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