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

Moreau, 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 Moreau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moreau in America

Moreau is the 3943rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moreau surname appeared 9,035 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Moreau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moreau 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 Moreau

The surname Moreau has its origins in France, originating sometime in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old French word "mor", meaning dark or brown, and refers to someone with a dark complexion or hair color. It may also have been used as a nickname for someone with a swarthy or brooding demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 12th century Cartulaire de Marmoutier, a collection of charters and records from the Abbey of Marmoutier in Tours, France. The name is also found in various medieval tax rolls and censuses from regions such as Normandy and Anjou.

The Moreau name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Jean Moreau (c. 1390-1449), a French theologian and professor at the University of Paris. Another prominent figure was Paul Moreau (1571-1632), a French lawyer and jurist who served as a counselor in the Parlement of Paris.

In the realm of literature, the name is closely tied to Jacques Moreau (1702-1784), a French playwright and author known for his comedic works, including "Le Joueur" (The Gambler). Another notable bearer of the name was Jean Victor Moreau (1763-1813), a celebrated French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, known for his victories at Hohenlinden and Oberhausen.

The name Moreau has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Moreau-de-Saint-Merry in Normandy and Moreau-de-Bretagne in Brittany. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting settlements or lands owned by individuals bearing the Moreau name.

Other notable figures with the Moreau surname include Henri Moreau (1834-1917), a French sculptor known for his works in the Beaux-Arts style; Gustave Moreau (1826-1898), a prominent French Symbolist painter whose works included "The Apparition" and "Salome Dancing before Herod"; and Émile Moreau (1838-1923), a French astronomer and director of the Paris Observatory.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moreau

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

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

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

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