2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Oulette
An English habitational surname likely derived from the French Ouille, a location name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Oulette. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oulette 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Oulette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oulette, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oulette
The surname Oulette originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It first appeared in records during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "ouillette," which referred to a small earthenware pot or jar used for cooking.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Jehan Oulette," who was likely a potter or someone involved in the production of these earthenware vessels.
The Oulette family can also be traced back to the village of Ouillettes in the Picardy region of northern France. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time. In some ancient records, the name appears as "Oullette" or "Oullet," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Oulette throughout history, there is Pierre Oulette (1537-1612), a French potter renowned for his intricate and beautifully decorated ceramic works. His pieces were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.
Another prominent figure was Marie Oulette (1682-1761), a French businesswoman who ran a successful pottery workshop in the town of Rouen. She was known for her entrepreneurial spirit and the high quality of her wares, which were exported to other parts of Europe.
In the 19th century, François Oulette (1812-1887) made a name for himself as a skilled painter and ceramicist. His works often depicted scenes from rural life and were highly acclaimed for their attention to detail and vibrant colors.
The Oulette surname also found its way to North America, particularly in the French-speaking regions of Canada. One notable Canadian bearer of the name was Jacques Oulette (1825-1902), a farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.
Finally, Antoine Oulette (1879-1954) was a French-Canadian artist and sculptor known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures. He drew inspiration from the natural beauty of his native Quebec and the rich culture of the region's indigenous peoples.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oulette
Among Census respondents with the surname Oulette, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Oulette 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 Oulette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oulette
Oulette 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-21 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,017 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,648 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 25,017 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,648 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 Oulette 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 | #141,140 | #142,788 | -1.2% |
| Count | 118 | 119 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oulette bearers went from 118 to 119 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,648 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #142,788.
FAQ
Oulette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oulette?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Oulette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Oulette?
Oulette ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Oulette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Oulette.
Has Oulette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oulette went from 118 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Oulette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oulette, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) 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 Oulette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oulette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (5.0%), 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 Oulette (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 Oulette mean?
An English habitational surname likely derived from the French Ouille, a location name. 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 Oulette (0.04 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 have the surname Oulette?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.