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

Lesperance, 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 Lesperance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lesperance in America

Lesperance is the 11076th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lesperance surname appeared 2,868 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lesperance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lesperance 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 Lesperance

The surname Lesperance originates from France and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French phrase "l'esperance", meaning "the hope". This name likely emerged as a descriptive surname for someone who embodied a hopeful attitude or demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lesperance can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Le Esperance", referring to a landowner in the county of Sussex, England.

During the Middle Ages, variations of the spelling included "L'Esperaunce", "Lesperauns", and "Lesperaunce". These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time.

In the 14th century, the name Lesperance appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record of landowners and their holdings. This document references a Robert Lesperance, who held land in the village of Bottisham.

One notable bearer of the name was Jean Lesperance, a French explorer and fur trader who lived in the late 16th century. He was among the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes region of North America and establish trade routes with the indigenous peoples.

Another prominent figure was François Lesperance, a French soldier and military engineer born in 1635. He served under Louis XIV and played a crucial role in the construction of fortifications across France and its territories.

In the 18th century, Jacques Lesperance (1723-1796) was a French architect renowned for his work on several churches and public buildings in Paris and the surrounding regions.

The name Lesperance has also been associated with various place names, such as Lesperance Creek in Montana, USA, and Lesperance Lake in Ontario, Canada, both named after early settlers or explorers bearing the surname.

One of the most famous individuals with the name Lesperance was Pierre Lesperance (1856-1923), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada and played a significant role in the development of labor laws in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lesperance

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

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

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

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