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

Montpelier, 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 Montpelier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montpelier in America

Montpelier is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montpelier surname appeared 125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Montpelier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Montpelier 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 Montpelier

The surname Montpelier originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the French phrase "mont pelier," which means "bald hill" or "bare mountain." The name likely referred to a prominent geographical feature or landmark near where the earliest bearers of the name lived.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Montpelier can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this name may have been among the Norman settlers who arrived in England following the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 12th century, a nobleman named Reginald de Montpelier was documented as holding lands in Berkshire, England. This Reginald de Montpelier is believed to be one of the earliest known individuals with this surname. His descendants continued to hold these lands for several generations, further establishing the Montpelier name in England.

During the 13th century, a branch of the Montpelier family settled in Scotland, where the name was sometimes spelled "Montpellier" or "Munpeillier." One notable member of this Scottish branch was Sir Alexander Montpelier, a knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, a French nobleman named Jean de Montpelier was a prominent figure in the court of King Charles VII of France. He was known for his military exploits and served as a trusted advisor to the king.

Another noteworthy individual with the Montpelier surname was Sir Walter de Montpelier, an English knight who participated in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. He fought for the House of Lancaster and was present at the Battle of Towton in 1461, one of the decisive battles of the conflict.

Over the centuries, the Montpelier name has been associated with various locations and place names, including the city of Montpellier in southern France, which shares a similar spelling and origin. However, the exact connection between the surname and the city remains unclear.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montpelier

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

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

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

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