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

Marchant, 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 Marchant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Marchant in America

Marchant is the 5909th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Marchant surname appeared 5,834 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Marchant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Marchant 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 Marchant

The surname Marchant has its origins in medieval France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "marchant," meaning "merchant" or "trader." This occupational surname was given to individuals who were engaged in mercantile activities, particularly those involved in the buying and selling of goods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th-century "Cartulaire de Louviers," a collection of medieval charters and documents from the region of Normandy. This document mentions a certain "Radulphus Marchant" in the year 1249, suggesting that the surname was well-established in northern France by that time.

The Marchant surname also appears in the renowned "Domesday Book," a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record includes entries for individuals bearing the name in various regions of England, indicating that the name had already spread across the English Channel by the late 11th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Marchant family played a significant role in the trade and commerce of medieval Europe. One notable figure was Jean Marchant, a successful merchant from Rouen who lived in the 14th century. Records indicate that he established a thriving trade network, facilitating the exchange of goods between France, England, and the Low Countries.

In the 15th century, the Marchant surname gained further prominence with the birth of Jacques Marchant (1393-1472), a renowned French scholar and theologian. Marchant served as the chancellor of the University of Paris and authored several influential works on theology and philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.

During the Renaissance period, the Marchant family continued to make its mark in various fields. Pierre Marchant (1510-1586), a French printer and publisher from Paris, played a crucial role in the dissemination of knowledge by producing numerous scholarly works and translations of classical texts.

Another notable figure was Charles Marchant (1682-1756), a French architect and engineer who gained recognition for his designs of several churches and public buildings in Paris and the surrounding regions. His works, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the Hôtel de Ville de Tours, exemplified the architectural styles of the Baroque and Neoclassical eras.

As the name spread throughout Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 19th century, Joseph Marchant (1815-1896), a British explorer and naturalist, made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia and New Zealand, where he spent a considerable part of his life documenting the unique species of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Marchant

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

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

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

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