2000
#7,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Levasseur
A French occupational surname referring to a vassal, one who held land in exchange for loyalty and service.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,804 Americans carry the last name Levasseur. That puts it at #7,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Levasseur 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
4.8K
1 in 71,348
Census rank
#7,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,189 bearers of the surname Levasseur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Levasseur, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Levasseur
The surname LEVASSEUR originated in France during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "vasseur" meaning "vassal" or "servant." The name likely referred to a servant or vassal of a lord or nobleman.
In the early 14th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts from the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. Spellings such as "Le Vasseur," "Levassour," and "Levasseur" were commonly found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Exchequer Rolls of Normandy from 1315, which mentioned a "Robert Le Vasseur" from the village of Coutances.
During the 15th century, the LEVASSEUR name spread to other parts of France, including the regions of Picardy and Île-de-France. Notable individuals from this time include Jean Levasseur (c. 1410-1480), a merchant and landowner from Paris.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of several prominent French families. For example, François Levasseur (1530-1595) was a lawyer and judge from the city of Rouen.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, members of the LEVASSEUR family were involved in various professions and occupations, including the military, clergy, and government. One notable figure was René Levasseur (1663-1721), a French naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the West Indies and North America.
During the 19th century, the LEVASSEUR name gained further prominence with individuals such as Victor Levasseur (1800-1870), a French geographer and cartographer, and Urbain Levasseur (1805-1889), a French historian and educator.
Other notable bearers of the LEVASSEUR surname include Jules Levasseur (1828-1903), a French painter and engraver, and Théodore Levasseur (1841-1911), a French politician and journalist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Levasseur
Among Census respondents with the surname Levasseur, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Levasseur 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 Levasseur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 3,714
- Black or African American4.9% · 207
- Two or more races2.7% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Levasseur
Levasseur 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
#7,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,404
+112 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 380 places
2020
#7,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,189
-215 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,170 | 4,292 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,550 | 4,404 | 1.49 | +112 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 380 places |
| 2020 | #7,618 | 4,189 | 1.40 | -215 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 68 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 Levasseur 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 | #7,550 | #7,618 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,404 | 4,189 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.40 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Levasseur bearers went from 4,404 to 4,189 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,550 to #7,618.
FAQ
Levasseur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Levasseur?
Name Census estimates that about 4,804 living Americans carry the surname Levasseur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,348 residents.
How common is Levasseur?
Levasseur ranks #7,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,189 people with the surname Levasseur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,804), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Levasseur.
Has Levasseur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Levasseur went from 4,404 recorded bearers to 4,189. That is a decrease of 215 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,550 to #7,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Levasseur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Levasseur, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Levasseur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (3,714 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Levasseur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Black (4.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Levasseur (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 Levasseur mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a vassal, one who held land in exchange for loyalty and service. 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 Levasseur (1.40 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 surname Levasseur?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.