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

Ouillette, 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 Ouillette surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ouillette in America

Ouillette is the 61585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ouillette surname appeared 326 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 Ouillette.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ouillette 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 Ouillette

The surname Ouillette originated in France, specifically in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "ouille," meaning "pot" or "jar." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade related to pottery-making or a person who worked with pots or jars.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Ouillette can be traced back to the 17th century in various French records and documents. One notable mention is found in the "Registre de la Prévôté de Paris" (Register of the Provostship of Paris) from the year 1634, where a certain Jean Ouillette is mentioned as a resident of the city.

In the late 17th century, the name Ouillette began to appear in historical records related to the French colonization of North America, particularly in the region of Acadia (present-day Maritime provinces of Canada) and New France (present-day Quebec). This suggests that some families bearing this surname may have been among the early French settlers in these areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ouillette in North America was Pierre Ouillette, who was born around 1685 in Acadia. He later settled in the region of Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

Another notable figure was François Ouillette, a French-Canadian merchant and entrepreneur born in 1752 in Quebec City. He played a significant role in the fur trade and established several trading posts in the region.

In the 19th century, the name Ouillette became more widespread across various parts of Canada and the United States, particularly in areas with French-Canadian communities. One prominent individual was Louis-Nazaire Ouillette, a Canadian politician and lawyer born in 1848 in Quebec. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and played a significant role in the political landscape of his time.

Another notable figure was Marie-Anne Ouillette, a French-Canadian author and educator born in 1865 in Quebec. She wrote several books and articles on education and was recognized for her contributions to promoting literacy and education in the French-Canadian community.

The Ouillette surname has also been present in other parts of the world, such as France and the United States, although its origins can be traced back to the French regions mentioned earlier.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ouillette

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

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

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

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