Lavallais
A French surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Laval.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Lavallais. That puts it at #129,047 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lavallais surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#129,047
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
132
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 132 bearers of the surname Lavallais in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129047th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavallais, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lavallais
The surname LAVALLAIS originates from France, specifically the Normandy region. It is believed to have first emerged in the late 11th or early 12th century, following the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
The name LAVALLAIS is derived from the Old French term "la vallée," meaning "the valley." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who lived in or near a valley or a specific valley region. It may also have been a toponymic surname, referring to a particular place name containing the word "vallée" or a variation of it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAVALLAIS surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the specific spelling and context of the name's appearance in the Domesday Book are uncertain.
In the 13th century, records show a prominent family with the surname LAVALLAIS residing in the village of Lavallais-Percherie, located in the department of Sarthe, in the historical province of Maine, France. This may have been the original homeland of those bearing the LAVALLAIS name.
Notable individuals with the LAVALLAIS surname include:
1. Jean-Baptiste LAVALLAIS (1730-1806), a French architect and engineer who designed numerous buildings in Normandy and Paris.
2. Pierre LAVALLAIS (1765-1842), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars.
3. Marie-Antoinette LAVALLAIS (1795-1871), a French author and poet known for her works on feminist themes and social issues.
4. Émile LAVALLAIS (1820-1892), a French painter and illustrator who specialized in portraits and historical scenes.
5. Léon LAVALLAIS (1865-1938), a French politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the National Assembly of France.
The LAVALLAIS surname has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Lavallais-Percherie, as mentioned earlier, and other locations that may have incorporated the term "vallée" or its variations into their names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lavallais
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavallais, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lavallais bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Lavallais surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.4%
- Two or more races8.3%
- Unknown or suppressed2.3%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Lavallais surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #136,783 | #129,047 | 5.7% |
| Count | 113 | 132 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Lavallais bearers went from 113 to 132 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 7,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,783 to #129,047.
FAQ
Lavallais surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Lavallais?
The surname Lavallais holds position #129,047 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Lavallais surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavallais, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.