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

Lévesque, 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 Lévesque surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lévesque in America

Lévesque is the 3146th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lévesque surname appeared 11,490 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Lévesque.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lévesque 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 Lévesque

The surname Levesque originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "evesque," meaning "bishop." This name was likely given to someone who worked for or lived near a bishop's residence or church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Levesque can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Levesquet," indicating its Norman roots.

During the Middle Ages, the Levesque family established themselves in various parts of France, particularly in the northern regions. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Jean Levesque, a French explorer who accompanied Samuel de Champlain to New France (modern-day Canada) in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, Pierre Levesque (1699-1770) was a prominent French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Hôtel de la Monnaie (Paris Mint).

Across the Atlantic, in the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Levesque name dates back to the late 17th century, when Jacques Levesque (born around 1670) settled in Quebec, Canada, with his family.

In the 19th century, Henri Levesque (1832-1900) was a French-Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. He played a significant role in the development of the province's legal system.

Another notable figure with the surname Levesque is René Levesque (1922-1987), a Canadian politician and journalist who served as the 23rd Premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was a strong advocate for Quebec sovereignty and played a crucial role in the province's independence movement.

Throughout history, variations of the spelling have included Levesquet, Leveque, and Levèque, reflecting the name's French origins and regional dialects. These variants highlight the rich cultural heritage and diverse geographic spread of the Levesque surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lévesque

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

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

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

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