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

Michaud, 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 Michaud surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Michaud in America

Michaud is the 2431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Michaud surname appeared 14,910 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Michaud.

We can also compare 2010 data for Michaud 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 Michaud

The surname Michaud has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Franche-Comté. It emerged during the Middle Ages, likely in the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French personal name "Michel," which in turn comes from the Hebrew name "Michael," meaning "who is like God."

The earliest known record of the name Michaud can be found in the Cartulaire de Hugues, a medieval manuscript from the Abbey of Saint-Bénigne in Dijon, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in various other historical documents, such as the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Goaille from the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Jean Michaud, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade under King Richard the Lionheart in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Pierre Michaud, a French explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in the Great Lakes region of North America in the late 17th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Michaud was often associated with places in Franche-Comté, such as Michaud-la-Ville, Michaud-le-Château, and Michaud-sur-Loue. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname.

In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Michaud family was Étienne Michaud, a French philosopher and humanist born in Burgundy around 1520. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy.

Another significant figure was Joseph-François Michaud, a French historian and author born in 1767. He is best known for his monumental work, the "Histoire des Croisades" (History of the Crusades), published between 1812 and 1822.

In the 19th century, Émile Michaud, a French writer and poet born in 1830, gained recognition for his contributions to the Parnassian literary movement.

Jean-Baptiste Michaud, born in 1786 in Franche-Comté, was a notable French diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under King Louis XVIII.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname Michaud, illustrating its deep roots and significance within French culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Michaud

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

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

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

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