2000
#19,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,252
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Mondesir
Of French origin, meaning "my desire," derived from the Old French phrase "mon desir."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,501 Americans carry the last name Mondesir. That puts it at #13,364 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,047 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mondesir 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 137,047
Census rank
#13,364
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,181 bearers of the surname Mondesir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13364th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mondesir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mondesir
The surname MONDESIR has its origins in France, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "mon" meaning "my" and "desir" meaning "desire" or "wish." The combination of these words suggests the name may have initially referred to someone with a particular desire or aspiration.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MONDESIR surname can be found in the parish records of Normandy, France, dating back to the late 1500s. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Mondesire" or "Mondesyre," reflecting the variations in spelling common at that time.
In the 17th century, the MONDESIR surname appears in various historical documents from the regions of Brittany and Normandy. Some notable individuals bearing this name include Jacques Mondesir, a merchant from Rouen born in 1624, and Marie Mondesir, a noblewoman from Rennes who lived from 1657 to 1718.
As the MONDESIR family spread across France, the name became associated with several prominent figures. One such individual was Pierre Mondesir, a renowned architect who was born in Lyon in 1712 and is credited with designing several notable buildings in Paris during the latter part of the 18th century.
During the 19th century, the MONDESIR surname gained further recognition with the birth of Émile Mondesir, a French philosopher and writer who lived from 1823 to 1897. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during his lifetime.
Another notable figure from this period was Jeanne Mondesir, a celebrated opera singer born in Marseille in 1845. She performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses across Europe and was renowned for her powerful soprano voice.
As the MONDESIR family continued to spread throughout France and beyond, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and public figures. While its origins can be traced back to the Old French language, the surname MONDESIR has left a lasting mark on history through the achievements and contributions of those who have borne it over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mondesir
Among Census respondents with the surname Mondesir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mondesir 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 Mondesir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.0% · 1,984
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 107
- Two or more races2.1% · 45
- White1.7% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mondesir
Mondesir 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
#15,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,946
+694 bearers (+55.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 4,714 places
2020
#13,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,181
+235 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,865 | 1,252 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,151 | 1,946 | 0.66 | +694 bearers (+55.4%) | Up 4,714 places |
| 2020 | #13,364 | 2,181 | 0.73 | +235 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 1,787 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 Mondesir 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 | #15,151 | #13,364 | 11.8% |
| Count | 1,946 | 2,181 | 12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.73 | 10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mondesir bearers went from 1,946 to 2,181 (+12.1% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,151 to #13,364.
FAQ
Mondesir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mondesir?
Name Census estimates that about 2,501 living Americans carry the surname Mondesir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,047 residents.
How common is Mondesir?
Mondesir ranks #13,364 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,181 people with the surname Mondesir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Mondesir.
Has Mondesir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mondesir went from 1,946 recorded bearers to 2,181. That is an increase of 235 (+12.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,151 to #13,364.
What does the Census say about the background of Mondesir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mondesir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mondesir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mondesir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.0%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mondesir (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 Mondesir mean?
Of French origin, meaning "my desire," derived from the Old French phrase "mon desir." 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 Mondesir (0.73 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 have the last name Mondesir?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Mondesir is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.