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

Menard, 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 Menard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menard in America

Menard is the 3126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menard surname appeared 11,543 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 Menard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menard 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 Menard

The surname Menard originated in France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "mesnard," which means "household steward" or "household manager." This name was likely given to individuals who worked as stewards or overseers of large estates or households.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Menard 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 is mentioned in this document in connection with a Norman landowner who held property in Gloucestershire.

In France, the name Menard can be traced back to the 12th century. One notable early bearer of this name was Hugues Ménard, a French knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under King Philip II of France. Another early Menard of note was Pierre Ménard, a 13th-century French scholar and poet who taught at the University of Paris.

The Menard surname was also found in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region. Several place names in France, such as Ménardville and Ménard-la-Ville, are believed to have been derived from this surname.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Menard was René Ménard (1605-1661), a French lawyer and writer who served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Paris. Another notable Menard was Pierre Ménard (1766-1844), a French-American fur trader, politician, and co-founder of the city of Galena, Illinois.

Other notable individuals with the surname Menard include Louis Ménard (1822-1901), a French philosopher and writer; René Ménard (1919-2011), a French Roman Catholic bishop; and Marcel Ménard (1917-1986), a French actor and playwright.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menard

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

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

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

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