2000
#9,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Lenoir
A French topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a grove of walnut trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,987 Americans carry the last name Lenoir. That puts it at #9,021 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,968 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lenoir 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
4.0K
1 in 85,968
Census rank
#9,021
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,477 bearers of the surname Lenoir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9021st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lenoir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.9%. The next largest groups are White (33.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lenoir
The surname LENOIR originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "noir" meaning "black." This combination suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone with dark features or clothing.
The earliest recorded instances of the name LENOIR can be found in various medieval records from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable example is Raoul le Noir, a French knight who lived during the late 12th century and participated in the Third Crusade.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Years' War records, with several individuals named LENOIR serving as soldiers or advisors to French kings. One such person was Jean LENOIR, a military commander who fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Siege of Orléans in 1429.
The surname LENOIR has also been linked to various place names across France, such as the village of Lenoir in the Normandy region. This suggests that some families may have adopted the name due to their association with these locations.
Over the centuries, the LENOIR surname has had several spelling variations, including Le Noir, Lenoir, and Lenoare. These variations often reflect regional differences in pronunciation and record-keeping practices.
Notable individuals with the LENOIR surname include:
1. André LENOIR (1742-1825), a French archaeologist and administrator who played a significant role in preserving historical monuments during the French Revolution.
2. Étienne LENOIR (1822-1900), a Belgian-French engineer and inventor who is credited with developing one of the first successful internal combustion engines.
3. Paul LENOIR (1856-1933), a French politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies and as Minister of the Interior.
4. Élie LENOIR (1879-1952), a French sculptor known for his work in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
5. Pierre LENOIR (1925-2019), a French actor and filmmaker who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.
The LENOIR surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in French culture and language. While its origins may be humble, the name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, from politics and art to engineering and invention.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lenoir
Among Census respondents with the surname Lenoir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.9%. The next largest groups are White (33.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lenoir 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 Lenoir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.9% · 1,839
- White33.2% · 1,154
- Two or more races5.8% · 203
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.3% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lenoir
Lenoir 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
#9,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,534
+287 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 14 places
2020
#9,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,477
-57 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 201 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,236 | 3,247 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,222 | 3,534 | 1.20 | +287 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 14 places |
| 2020 | #9,021 | 3,477 | 1.16 | -57 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 201 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 Lenoir 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 | #9,222 | #9,021 | 2.2% |
| Count | 3,534 | 3,477 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.16 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lenoir bearers went from 3,534 to 3,477 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 201 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,222 to #9,021.
FAQ
Lenoir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lenoir?
Name Census estimates that about 3,987 living Americans carry the surname Lenoir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,968 residents.
How common is Lenoir?
Lenoir ranks #9,021 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,477 people with the surname Lenoir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,987), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Lenoir.
Has Lenoir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lenoir went from 3,534 recorded bearers to 3,477. That is a decrease of 57 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,222 to #9,021.
What does the Census say about the background of Lenoir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lenoir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.9%. The next largest groups are White (33.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lenoir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.9% (1,839 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lenoir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (52.9%), White (33.2%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Lenoir (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 Lenoir mean?
A French topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a grove of walnut trees. 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 Lenoir (1.16 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 have the last name Lenoir?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Lenoir, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.