2000
#13,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Lheureux
A French surname derived from the Old French word "l'heureux," meaning "the happy one" or "the fortunate one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,546 Americans carry the last name Lheureux. That puts it at #13,189 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lheureux 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
2.5K
1 in 134,625
Census rank
#13,189
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,220 bearers of the surname Lheureux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13189th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lheureux, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lheureux
The surname LHEUREUX has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French phrase "l'heureux," meaning "the happy one" or "the fortunate one." This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with a cheerful or fortunate demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the LHEUREUX surname can be found in historical records from the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Picardy. The name appears in various spellings in medieval documents, such as Lehureux, Leureux, and L'Eureux.
In the 13th century, a nobleman named Pierre LHEUREUX was mentioned in a charter from the town of Rouen, Normandy. This is one of the earliest known records of the surname. Another notable individual was Jehan LHEUREUX, a merchant from Amiens, Picardy, who is referenced in a trade document dated 1397.
During the 16th century, the LHEUREUX name gained prominence in the region of Champagne, where a family of that name held lands and titles. One prominent member was Gilles LHEUREUX (1524-1601), a wealthy landowner and member of the local gentry.
In the 17th century, a branch of the LHEUREUX family settled in the city of Lyon, where they established themselves as successful merchants. One notable figure from this lineage was Jacques LHEUREUX (1642-1718), a prominent silk trader and businessman.
Another significant individual bearing the LHEUREUX name was Marie-Jeanne LHEUREUX (1755-1832), a nun and educator from the Lorraine region. She founded several schools and educational institutions for girls during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Throughout its history, the LHEUREUX surname has been associated with various locations and place names in France, such as Heureux (a village in Normandy), Lheureux (a hamlet in Picardy), and L'Heureux (a former parish in the Champagne region).
It is worth noting that while the LHEUREUX surname is predominantly French in origin, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration and diaspora over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lheureux
Among Census respondents with the surname Lheureux, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lheureux 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 Lheureux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,058
- Two or more races3.5% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lheureux
Lheureux 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
#13,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,186
+62 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 643 places
2020
#13,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,220
+34 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,187 | 2,124 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,830 | 2,186 | 0.74 | +62 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 643 places |
| 2020 | #13,189 | 2,220 | 0.74 | +34 bearers (+1.6%) | Up 641 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 Lheureux 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 | #13,830 | #13,189 | 4.6% |
| Count | 2,186 | 2,220 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.74 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lheureux bearers went from 2,186 to 2,220 (+1.6% change). The surname moved up 641 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,830 to #13,189.
FAQ
Lheureux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lheureux?
Name Census estimates that about 2,546 living Americans carry the surname Lheureux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,625 residents.
How common is Lheureux?
Lheureux ranks #13,189 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,220 people with the surname Lheureux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,546), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Lheureux.
Has Lheureux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lheureux went from 2,186 recorded bearers to 2,220. That is an increase of 34 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,830 to #13,189.
What does the Census say about the background of Lheureux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lheureux, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (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 Lheureux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,058 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lheureux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (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 Lheureux (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 Lheureux mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "l'heureux," meaning "the happy one" or "the fortunate one." 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 Lheureux (0.74 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 Americans have the surname Lheureux?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.