2000
#6,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,744
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Lebeau
A French occupational surname referring to a handsome man or someone who is beautiful.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,341 Americans carry the last name Lebeau. That puts it at #6,953 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,174 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lebeau 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lebeau with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,174
Census rank
#6,953
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,658 bearers of the surname Lebeau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6953rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lebeau
The surname LEBEAU has its origins in France, dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "beau" meaning "beautiful" or "handsome." This combination suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone considered attractive or physically appealing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEBEAU surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals bearing this name had already established themselves in England by the late 11th century, likely as a result of the Norman Conquest.
The LEBEAU surname has been associated with various place names throughout France, such as Lebeau in the Sarthe department and Lebeau-Valenciennes in the Nord department. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Lebau, Leboue, and Lebeaux.
Notable individuals with the LEBEAU surname include Jean-Baptiste Lebeau (1766-1824), a French politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under King Louis XVIII. Another prominent figure was Edmond Lebeau (1809-1888), a French historian and writer who authored several works on the history of France.
In the United Kingdom, one of the earliest recorded instances of the LEBEAU surname dates back to the 16th century. John Lebeau (c. 1540-1610) was an English theologian and author, known for his works on biblical interpretation and religious controversies of the time.
The LEBEAU surname also has a presence in the United States, with notable individuals such as Joseph Lebeau (1768-1824), a French-American military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a successful businessman in New Orleans.
Another influential figure was Edmond Lebeau (1877-1943), a French-American painter and artist who was part of the Taos art colony in New Mexico. His works are celebrated for capturing the landscapes and Native American cultures of the American Southwest.
These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the LEBEAU surname who have left their mark on history, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lebeau
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lebeau 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 Lebeau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 3,652
- American Indian and Alaska Native7.4% · 344
- Two or more races5.2% · 240
- Black or African American4.9% · 228
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lebeau
Lebeau 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
#6,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,958
+214 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 213 places
2020
#6,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,658
-300 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,588 | 4,744 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,801 | 4,958 | 1.68 | +214 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 213 places |
| 2020 | #6,953 | 4,658 | 1.56 | -300 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 152 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 Lebeau 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 | #6,801 | #6,953 | -2.2% |
| Count | 4,958 | 4,658 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.56 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lebeau bearers went from 4,958 to 4,658 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,801 to #6,953.
FAQ
Lebeau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lebeau?
Name Census estimates that about 5,341 living Americans carry the surname Lebeau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,174 residents.
How common is Lebeau?
Lebeau ranks #6,953 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,658 people with the surname Lebeau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,341), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lebeau.
Has Lebeau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lebeau went from 4,958 recorded bearers to 4,658. That is a decrease of 300 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,801 to #6,953.
What does the Census say about the background of Lebeau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Lebeau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (3,652 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lebeau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Lebeau (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 Lebeau mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a handsome man or someone who is beautiful. 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 Lebeau (1.56 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 many Americans have the surname Lebeau?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.