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

Legare, 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 Legare surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Legare in America

Legare is the 20139th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Legare surname appeared 1,326 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Legare.

We can also compare 2010 data for Legare 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 Legare

The surname "LEGARE" originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "legier," which means "light" or "nimble." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Legere," which was likely an early spelling variation.

During the 12th century, the name was also found in various records from the Normandy region of France. It is possible that the name was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone who was particularly agile or quick on their feet.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on different spellings and variations, such as "Leger," "Legare," and "Legaré." These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and languages.

One notable individual with the surname "LEGARE" was Pierre Legare, a French explorer and navigator who was born in 1666 in Quebec City, New France (now Canada). He was known for his explorations of the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi River basin.

Another prominent figure was Jean-Baptiste Legare, a French-Canadian painter and sculptor who lived from 1795 to 1855. He is renowned for his religious artwork and is considered one of the most influential artists in early Canadian history.

In the 19th century, François-Xavier Legare, a French-Canadian lawyer and politician, served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1834 to 1838. He played a significant role in the political debates and discussions leading up to the Act of Union in 1840.

Marie-Anne Legare, born in 1755 in Quebec, was a notable figure in Canadian history as one of the first female entrepreneurs in the colony. She established a successful business trading furs and goods with Indigenous communities.

Lastly, Jean-Baptiste Legare-Verrier, born in 1809 in France, was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of St. Eugène and the Palais de l'Industrie (now known as the Palais des Arts).

These individuals represent just a few examples of the historical significance and widespread use of the surname "LEGARE" across various fields and regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Legare

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

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

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

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