2000
#35,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 601
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Montagne
A French surname derived from the word meaning "mountain".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 815 Americans carry the last name Montagne. That puts it at #34,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 420,557 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montagne 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Montagne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
815
1 in 420,557
Census rank
#34,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
711
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 711 bearers of the surname Montagne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montagne, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montagne
The surname Montagne is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "montagne" which means "mountain." It first emerged in the regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany, during the Middle Ages.
The name Montagne is believed to have been initially a descriptive surname, given to individuals who lived near or on a mountain or hill. It may have also been used as a topographic name, referring to a specific place or settlement named after a prominent geographical feature such as a mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Montagne can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Rainaldus de Muntania, which is likely an early spelling variation of the name Montagne.
In the 13th century, the name Montagne appeared in various medieval records and chronicles, such as the Pipe Rolls of Normandy and the Cartulary of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. These documents indicate that the name was well-established among the Norman nobility and landowners during this period.
Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Montagne are:
1. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), a renowned French Renaissance philosopher and essayist, best known for his philosophical work "Essays."
2. Philippe de Montagne (1589-1654), a French nobleman and military commander who served as the Marshal of France during the Thirty Years' War.
3. Jean-François de La Montagne (1616-1701), a French Catholic priest and writer who authored several theological works.
4. Raymond de Montagne (1610-1671), a French politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of France under Louis XIV.
5. Marie-Madeleine de Montagne (1699-1785), a French writer and poet who was a member of the literary salons of Paris during the Enlightenment period.
The name Montagne has also been associated with various place names throughout France, such as Montagne-Noire (a mountain range in southern France), Montagne-Verte (a commune in Normandy), and Montagne-sur-Cher (a town in central France).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montagne
Among Census respondents with the surname Montagne, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Montagne 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 Montagne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 606
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 56
- Two or more races4.2% · 30
- Black or African American1.4% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montagne
Montagne 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
#38,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 578
-23 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,887 places
2020
#34,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 711
+133 bearers (+23.0%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 3,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,445 | 601 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,332 | 578 | 0.20 | -23 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 2,887 places |
| 2020 | #34,347 | 711 | 0.24 | +133 bearers (+23.0%) | Up 3,985 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 Montagne 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 | #38,332 | #34,347 | 10.4% |
| Count | 578 | 711 | 23.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.24 | 18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montagne bearers went from 578 to 711 (+23.0% change). The surname moved up 3,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,332 to #34,347.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Montagne
FAQ
Montagne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montagne?
Name Census estimates that about 815 living Americans carry the surname Montagne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 420,557 residents.
How common is Montagne?
Montagne ranks #34,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 711 people with the surname Montagne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (815), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Montagne.
Has Montagne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montagne went from 578 recorded bearers to 711. That is an increase of 133 (+23.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,332 to #34,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Montagne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montagne, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Montagne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (606 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montagne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Hispanic (7.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Montagne (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 Montagne mean?
A French surname derived from the word meaning "mountain". 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 Montagne (0.24 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 Montagne?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Montagne on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.