2000
#2,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.12
Uncommon Last name
Levesque
A French toponymic surname indicating someone from a place called Évêque or Lévêque, derived from the Old French for "bishop."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,394 Americans carry the last name Levesque. That puts it at #3,261 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Levesque 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
12K
1 in 27,655
Census rank
#3,261
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,808 bearers of the surname Levesque in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3261st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Levesque, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Levesque
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Levesque
Among Census respondents with the surname Levesque, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Levesque 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 Levesque surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 9,894
- Two or more races3.2% · 347
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 345
- Black or African American1.1% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Levesque
Levesque 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
#3,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,490
+379 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.90
Rank movement Down 164 places
2020
#3,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,808
-682 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,982 | 11,111 | 4.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,146 | 11,490 | 3.90 | +379 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 164 places |
| 2020 | #3,261 | 10,808 | 3.62 | -682 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 115 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 Levesque 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 | #3,146 | #3,261 | -3.7% |
| Count | 11,490 | 10,808 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.90 | 3.62 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Levesque bearers went from 11,490 to 10,808 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,146 to #3,261.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Levesque
FAQ
Levesque surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Levesque?
Name Census estimates that about 12,394 living Americans carry the surname Levesque. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,655 residents.
How common is Levesque?
Levesque ranks #3,261 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,808 people with the surname Levesque. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,394), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Levesque.
Has Levesque become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Levesque went from 11,490 recorded bearers to 10,808. That is a decrease of 682 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,146 to #3,261.
What does the Census say about the background of Levesque?
Among Census respondents with the surname Levesque, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Levesque in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (9,894 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Levesque appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Levesque (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 Levesque mean?
A French toponymic surname indicating someone from a place called Évêque or Lévêque, derived from the Old French for "bishop." 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 Levesque (3.62 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 Levesque?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.