2000
#2,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.19
Uncommon Last name
Larue
French topographic surname denoting someone living beside a road, derived from the Old French "la rue" meaning "the street."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,747 Americans carry the last name Larue. That puts it at #3,170 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,889 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larue 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
13K
1 in 26,889
Census rank
#3,170
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,116 bearers of the surname Larue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3170th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larue, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larue
Among Census respondents with the surname Larue, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Larue 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 Larue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 9,302
- Black or African American6.1% · 676
- Two or more races4.5% · 502
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 469
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 79
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larue
Larue 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
#3,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,757
+442 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 3.99
Rank movement Down 126 places
2020
#3,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,116
-641 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,921 | 11,315 | 4.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,047 | 11,757 | 3.99 | +442 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 126 places |
| 2020 | #3,170 | 11,116 | 3.72 | -641 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 123 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 Larue 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 | #3,047 | #3,170 | -4.0% |
| Count | 11,757 | 11,116 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.99 | 3.72 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larue bearers went from 11,757 to 11,116 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 123 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,047 to #3,170.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Larue
FAQ
Larue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larue?
Name Census estimates that about 12,747 living Americans carry the surname Larue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,889 residents.
How common is Larue?
Larue ranks #3,170 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,116 people with the surname Larue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,747), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Larue.
Has Larue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larue went from 11,757 recorded bearers to 11,116. That is a decrease of 641 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,047 to #3,170.
What does the Census say about the background of Larue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larue, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Larue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (9,302 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Larue (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 Larue mean?
French topographic surname denoting someone living beside a road, derived from the Old French "la rue" meaning "the street." 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 Larue (3.72 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 common is the surname Larue?
See how many people are called Larue on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.