2000
#21,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Louissaint
A French surname referring to someone from the town of Louissaint, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,597 Americans carry the last name Louissaint. That puts it at #12,964 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,981 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Louissaint 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
2.6K
1 in 131,981
Census rank
#12,964
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,265 bearers of the surname Louissaint in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12964th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Louissaint, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Louissaint
The surname Louissaint is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the late 17th century. It is believed to have originated from the French phrase "Louis Saint," which translates to "Saint Louis" or "Holy Louis." This name likely emerged as a devotional surname, honoring Saint Louis IX, the King of France from 1226 to 1270.
Early records indicate that the name was initially concentrated in the Normandy region of northern France. It is possible that the surname arose among families who held a particular devotion to Saint Louis IX, or perhaps those who lived near a church or chapel dedicated to the revered monarch.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Louissaint surname can be found in the parish records of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, a commune in the Calvados department of Normandy, dating back to the late 1600s. This area was known for its strong religious traditions, which may have influenced the adoption of such a devout surname.
In the 18th century, the name began to spread beyond Normandy as families migrated to other parts of France and French colonies. Notable individuals bearing the Louissaint surname during this period include Jacques Louissaint (1705-1778), a renowned French physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the West Indies.
As the French colonial empire expanded, the Louissaint surname found its way to the Caribbean islands, particularly Haiti. One of the most prominent figures with this name was Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803), the leader of the Haitian Revolution and a key figure in the abolition of slavery in the French colonies.
Another notable bearer of the Louissaint name was Pierre Louissaint (1788-1849), a Haitian military officer and politician who served as President of Haiti from 1845 to 1847. His leadership during a turbulent period in Haitian history earned him a place in the annals of the nation's struggle for independence and sovereignty.
In the 19th century, the Louissaint surname also made its way to the United States, as Haitian immigrants and their descendants settled in various parts of the country. One such individual was Féry Louissaint (1843-1916), a Haitian-American educator and activist who worked tirelessly to promote education and civil rights for the African-American community in New Orleans.
Throughout its history, the Louissaint surname has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, united by their French origins and, in some cases, their connection to the legendary figure of Saint Louis IX. While the name may have evolved over time and across different regions, its essence remains rooted in the rich cultural and religious tapestry of France and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Louissaint
Among Census respondents with the surname Louissaint, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Louissaint 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 Louissaint surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.6% · 2,074
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 86
- Two or more races2.8% · 64
- White1.1% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Louissaint
Louissaint 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
#15,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,879
+778 bearers (+70.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 6,394 places
2020
#12,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,265
+386 bearers (+20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 2,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,958 | 1,101 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,564 | 1,879 | 0.64 | +778 bearers (+70.7%) | Up 6,394 places |
| 2020 | #12,964 | 2,265 | 0.76 | +386 bearers (+20.5%) | Up 2,600 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 Louissaint 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 | #15,564 | #12,964 | 16.7% |
| Count | 1,879 | 2,265 | 20.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.76 | 18.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Louissaint bearers went from 1,879 to 2,265 (+20.5% change). The surname moved up 2,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,564 to #12,964.
FAQ
Louissaint surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Louissaint?
Name Census estimates that about 2,597 living Americans carry the surname Louissaint. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,981 residents.
How common is Louissaint?
Louissaint ranks #12,964 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,265 people with the surname Louissaint. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,597), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Louissaint.
Has Louissaint become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Louissaint went from 1,879 recorded bearers to 2,265. That is an increase of 386 (+20.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,564 to #12,964.
What does the Census say about the background of Louissaint?
Among Census respondents with the surname Louissaint, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Louissaint in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Louissaint appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Louissaint (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 Louissaint mean?
A French surname referring to someone from the town of Louissaint, France. 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 Louissaint (0.76 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 are called Louissaint?
See how many people are called Louissaint on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.