2000
#6,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,058
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.87
Rare Last name
Legrand
Derived from the French phrase "le grand," meaning "the great" or "the large," likely referring to a person's size or importance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,841 Americans carry the last name Legrand. That puts it at #6,417 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,681 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Legrand 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 Legrand with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,681
Census rank
#6,417
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,094 bearers of the surname Legrand in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6417th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Legrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Legrand
The surname LEGRAND is of French origin, and it can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "grand" meaning "large" or "great." The name was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was tall or physically imposing.
In medieval France, surnames were often derived from personal characteristics, occupations, or place names. The name LEGRAND was likely used to distinguish individuals with a particular physical trait or stature within their local communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEGRAND can be found in the census records of Normandy from the late 12th century. The name was particularly prevalent in northern France, including regions such as Normandy, Brittany, and Picardy.
During the Middle Ages, the LEGRAND family name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts. For example, a Jacques LEGRAND was recorded as a landowner in the village of Saint-Malo in Brittany in the 14th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname LEGRAND. One of the earliest was Pierre LEGRAND (c. 1360-1418), a French theologian and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Paris. Another prominent figure was Jacques LEGRAND (1653-1733), a French lawyer and writer who authored several legal treatises.
In the 18th century, Louis LEGRAND (1711-1780) was a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice. Jean-Joseph LEGRAND (1784-1865) was a French painter and engraver known for his portraits and historical scenes.
During the 19th century, Antoine LEGRAND (1828-1895) was a French soldier and military historian who wrote extensively about the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded the Légion d'Honneur for his contributions to military history.
The surname LEGRAND has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, architects, and military figures. While the name originated in northern France, it has since spread to other regions and countries through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Legrand
Among Census respondents with the surname Legrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Legrand 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 Legrand surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.2% · 3,272
- Black or African American24.0% · 1,224
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 358
- Two or more races3.7% · 190
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Legrand
Legrand 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
#6,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,413
+355 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 79 places
2020
#6,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,094
-319 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,227 | 5,058 | 1.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,306 | 5,413 | 1.84 | +355 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 79 places |
| 2020 | #6,417 | 5,094 | 1.70 | -319 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 111 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 Legrand 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 | #6,306 | #6,417 | -1.8% |
| Count | 5,413 | 5,094 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.70 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Legrand bearers went from 5,413 to 5,094 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,306 to #6,417.
FAQ
Legrand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Legrand?
Name Census estimates that about 5,841 living Americans carry the surname Legrand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,681 residents.
How common is Legrand?
Legrand ranks #6,417 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 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 5,094 people with the surname Legrand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,841), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 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 Legrand.
Has Legrand become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Legrand went from 5,413 recorded bearers to 5,094. That is a decrease of 319 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,306 to #6,417.
What does the Census say about the background of Legrand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Legrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Legrand in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.2% (3,272 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Legrand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.2%), Black (24.0%), Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Legrand (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 Legrand mean?
Derived from the French phrase "le grand," meaning "the great" or "the large," likely referring to a person's size or importance. 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 Legrand (1.70 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 common is the surname Legrand?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Legrand at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.