2000
#15,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,746
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Legendre
A French surname derived from the word "légende" meaning "legend" or "literary work".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,089 Americans carry the last name Legendre. That puts it at #15,485 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,076 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Legendre 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
2.1K
1 in 164,076
Census rank
#15,485
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,822 bearers of the surname Legendre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15485th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Legendre, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Legendre
The surname Legendre is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "legendre," which means "to beget" or "to engender." It first appeared in the northern regions of France, particularly in the provinces of Normandy and Picardy, during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instance of the Legendre surname can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was mentioned in the cartularies of the Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres. These cartularies were a collection of historical documents and records related to the abbey, which played a significant role in preserving the name's origin and early usage.
During the 13th century, the name Legendre appeared in various legal documents and manuscripts, such as the "Rôles de l'Échiquier de Normandie," which were judicial records from the Norman Exchequer. This suggests that the Legendre family held a notable presence in the region during that time.
One of the earliest and most renowned individuals bearing the Legendre surname was Adrien-Marie Legendre (1752-1833), a prominent French mathematician and geometer. He made significant contributions to the fields of number theory, elliptic integrals, and celestial mechanics, and his work influenced the development of modern mathematics.
Another notable figure was François Legendre (1637-1703), a French Baroque painter and engraver known for his religious and mythological works. His paintings adorned churches and galleries across Europe, and his etchings were widely admired for their intricate details and technical mastery.
In the realm of literature, René Legendre (1646-1733) was a French dramatist and poet who wrote numerous plays and poems during the reign of Louis XIV. His works often explored themes of love, honor, and moral dilemmas, reflecting the societal norms and values of his time.
The Legendre surname also gained prominence in the field of law and politics. Joseph Legendre (1917-1998) was a French politician who served as a member of the European Parliament and played a significant role in shaping European policies and legislation.
Throughout history, the name Legendre has been associated with various places and regions across France. For instance, the commune of Légendre in the department of Orne is believed to have derived its name from the Legendre family, who may have held land or influence in the area during the medieval period.
While the Legendre surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and colonial expansion. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the northern regions of France, where it first emerged and flourished.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Legendre
Among Census respondents with the surname Legendre, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Legendre 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 Legendre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 1,466
- Black or African American10.9% · 198
- Two or more races4.1% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Legendre
Legendre 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
#15,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,860
+114 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 274 places
2020
#15,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,822
-38 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 202 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,413 | 1,746 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,687 | 1,860 | 0.63 | +114 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 274 places |
| 2020 | #15,485 | 1,822 | 0.61 | -38 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 202 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 Legendre 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 | #15,687 | #15,485 | 1.3% |
| Count | 1,860 | 1,822 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.61 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Legendre bearers went from 1,860 to 1,822 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 202 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,687 to #15,485.
FAQ
Legendre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Legendre?
Name Census estimates that about 2,089 living Americans carry the surname Legendre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,076 residents.
How common is Legendre?
Legendre ranks #15,485 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,822 people with the surname Legendre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,089), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Legendre.
Has Legendre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Legendre went from 1,860 recorded bearers to 1,822. That is a decrease of 38 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,687 to #15,485.
What does the Census say about the background of Legendre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Legendre, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Legendre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (1,466 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Legendre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Black (10.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Legendre (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 Legendre mean?
A French surname derived from the word "légende" meaning "legend" or "literary work". 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 Legendre (0.61 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 Legendre?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.