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

Lesnau, 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 Lesnau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lesnau in America

Lesnau is the 90495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lesnau surname appeared 204 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 Lesnau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lesnau 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 Lesnau

The surname LESNAU is of French origin, with its earliest documented instances traced back to the 12th century in the historical province of Normandy. It is believed to have derived from the Old French term "lesnau," which referred to a small forest or grove of trees. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, identifying the original bearer as someone residing near or associated with a wooded area.

The earliest recorded mention of the LESNAU surname can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Amand, a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 12th century. The document contains a reference to a certain Raoul de Lesnau, who was a landowner in the village of Lesnau, situated in the region of Calvados, Normandy.

In the 13th century, the LESNAU name appeared in several medieval records and charters from various parts of northern France, indicating the gradual spread and establishment of the surname across the region. One notable example is the Rôles Gascons, a collection of administrative records from the English-controlled territories in France during the Hundred Years' War, which mentions a Jean de Lesnau serving as a knight in the service of the English Crown.

During the Renaissance period, the LESNAU surname gained prominence with the birth of Étienne de Lesnau (1540-1613), a prominent French jurist and legal scholar from Rouen. He authored several influential works on French law and served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Normandy.

Another notable figure bearing the LESNAU name was Jacques de Lesnau (1615-1678), a French military officer and engineer who served under Louis XIV. He played a significant role in the fortification and defense of several strategic locations during the Franco-Spanish War and the Dutch War.

In the 18th century, Marie-Anne de Lesnau (1735-1805) was a celebrated French painter and portraitist, known for her works depicting the aristocracy and prominent figures of the time. Her portraits can be found in various museums and private collections across Europe.

As the LESNAU surname spread beyond its Norman roots, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Leno, Lenau, and Leneau, reflecting regional linguistic variations and adaptations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its connection to forests or wooded areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lesnau

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

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

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

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