2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lecornu
A French surname signifying someone with a horn-like prominence or peak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Lecornu. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lecornu 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 Lecornu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Lecornu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lecornu, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lecornu
The surname LECORNU is of French origin, deriving from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "cornu" meaning "horned" or "having horns." This name likely emerged in the early medieval period, potentially indicating an occupation involving horned animals or a descriptive nickname.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, where agriculture and livestock rearing were prevalent occupations.
One of the earliest documented references to the name LECORNU can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Henry II, dated 1180, which mention a "Robertus le Cornu" from Lincolnshire, England. This suggests that the name had already established itself in France and had spread to England by the late 12th century.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various records and manuscripts, such as the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Wandrille (1240), which mentions a "Guillelmus le Cornu" from Normandy. This further solidifies the connection between the name and the region of northern France.
In the 14th century, the name LECORNU gained prominence with the rise of Jean Lecornu (1312-1380), a prominent French jurist and member of the Parlement of Paris. He played a significant role in the development of French legal traditions and served as the King's Advocate under King Charles V.
Another notable figure with this surname was Nicolas Lecornu (1521-1592), a French theologian and ecclesiastical writer. He was a prominent figure during the Counter-Reformation and authored several works defending Catholic doctrine against Protestantism.
During the 16th century, the name LECORNU also appeared in England, with records indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in various counties. One such example is William Lecornu, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1543 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Cricklade in 1586.
In the 17th century, Jacques Lecornu (1621-1687) was a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to Canada and worked among the indigenous populations of New France (present-day Quebec and Ontario). He documented his experiences and observations in writings that provide valuable insights into the cultural interactions between Europeans and Native Americans during that era.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Jean-Baptiste Lecornu (1768-1834), a French Revolutionary and military officer who served under Napoleon. He participated in several campaigns, including the Napoleonic Wars, and rose to the rank of General in the French Army.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lecornu
Among Census respondents with the surname Lecornu, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lecornu 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 Lecornu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 82
- Two or more races11.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.9% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lecornu
Lecornu 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,193 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,193 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 12,361 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 Lecornu 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 | #135,593 | #147,954 | -9.1% |
| Count | 124 | 112 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lecornu bearers went from 124 to 112 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 12,361 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #147,954.
FAQ
Lecornu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lecornu?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Lecornu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Lecornu?
Lecornu ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Lecornu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lecornu.
Has Lecornu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lecornu went from 124 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Lecornu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lecornu, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%). 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 Lecornu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lecornu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Two or More Races (11.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%). 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 Lecornu (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 Lecornu mean?
A French surname signifying someone with a horn-like prominence or peak. 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 Lecornu (0.04 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 people share the surname Lecornu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.