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

LaRue, 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 LaRue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaRue in America

LaRue is the 3047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaRue surname appeared 11,757 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname LaRue.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaRue 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 LaRue

The surname LaRue is of French origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in France. The name is derived from the French phrase "la rue," which translates to "the street" or "the road." It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who lived near or on a significant street or road.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in France. The surname LaRue first appeared in records from this period, notably in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. Early spellings of the name included variations such as La Rue, Larue, and De la Rue.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LaRue can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a medieval cartulary from the 12th century. The document mentions a certain "Petrus de la Rue" in the year 1195. This provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during that time.

In the 14th century, the surname LaRue appeared in the Armorial Général de France, a heraldic record compiled under the orders of King Louis XIV. This suggests that members of the LaRue family held a certain social status and were recognized as part of the French nobility.

Among notable individuals with the surname LaRue throughout history are:

1. Gervais de LaRue (c. 1370 - c. 1440), a French composer and musician who served at the court of Charles VI and Charles VII.
2. Jacques LaRue (1622 - 1688), a French colonist and explorer who played a significant role in the early settlement of Quebec, Canada.
3. Pierre LaRue (1718 - 1779), a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Église de la Madeleine.
4. Étienne LaRue (1834 - 1919), a French painter and sculptor renowned for his works depicting scenes from rural life in Normandy.
5. Yvonne LaRue (1898 - 1982), a French actress and singer who appeared in several films during the early 20th century.

The surname LaRue has also been associated with various place names in France, such as LaRue-Saint-Pierre, a commune in the Oise department, and LaRue-de-Seaux, a commune in the Aisne department. These place names likely originated from the presence of families bearing the LaRue surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaRue

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

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

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

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