Morneau
A surname of French origin meaning "the sooty one" or "blackish".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,165 Americans carry the last name Morneau. That puts it at #24,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 294,210 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morneau surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.2K
1 in 294,210
Census rank
#24,961
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
996
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 996 bearers of the surname Morneau in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morneau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morneau
The surname MORNEAU has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "morneau," meaning "sparrow." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone with particular physical or behavioral characteristics resembling those of a sparrow.
The earliest known record of the MORNEAU surname dates back to 1189, when a person named Jean Morneau was listed as a resident of the village of Chateauneuf-sur-Loire in central France. Over the following centuries, the name spread to other regions of the country, with variations in spelling such as Morno, Mornault, and Mornot appearing in historical documents.
One notable bearer of the MORNEAU name was Pierre Morneau (1540-1612), a renowned architect who was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in Paris during the Renaissance period, including the Hôtel de Sully and the Pavillon de l'Horloge at the Louvre Palace.
Another historical figure was Jean-Baptiste Morneau (1712-1792), a French composer and organist who served as the court musician to King Louis XV. His compositions, primarily for the organ, were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, François Morneau (1825-1901) was a prominent politician and lawyer from Quebec, Canada, who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament and played a significant role in the country's early political history.
The MORNEAU surname also has ties to the literary world, with Émile Morneau (1870-1938), a French novelist and playwright, being one of the most notable figures. His works, which explored themes of love, jealousy, and social conflicts, were widely acclaimed and translated into several languages.
Another individual of note was Marie-Thérèse Morneau (1892-1972), a French artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her avant-garde works, particularly her bronze and stone sculptures that often depicted human forms in abstract and stylized ways.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morneau
Among Census respondents with the surname Morneau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Morneau bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Morneau surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5%
- Black or African American2.2%
- Two or more races2.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2%
- Unknown or suppressed0.9%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Morneau surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,807 | #24,961 | -0.6% |
| Count | 942 | 996 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.34 | -2.9% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Morneau bearers went from 942 to 996 (+5.7% change). The surname moved down 154 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,807 to #24,961.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Morneau
FAQ
Morneau surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Morneau?
The surname Morneau holds position #24,961 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,165 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Morneau surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morneau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.