2000
#12,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,229
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Parenteau
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a group of poplar trees or a poplar grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,377 Americans carry the last name Parenteau. That puts it at #13,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parenteau 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
2.4K
1 in 144,196
Census rank
#13,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,073 bearers of the surname Parenteau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parenteau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parenteau
The surname Parenteau has its origins in France, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "parent," meaning relative or kinsman. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a relative of a prominent family or individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Parenteau surname can be found in the parish records of Normandy, France, dating back to the late 1500s. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Parentault and Parentault, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
In the 17th century, the Parenteau name gained prominence in the Poitou region of western France. This area was known for its rich agricultural traditions, and it is possible that some Parenteau families were involved in farming or land ownership during this period.
As French settlers began to explore and colonize the Americas in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Parenteau surname made its way across the Atlantic. One notable figure was Pierre Parenteau, a French soldier and explorer who participated in the establishment of the French colony of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia and parts of Maine) in the early 1600s.
In the late 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Parenteau (1745-1820) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the Québec region of Canada. He played a significant role in the development of the local economy and left a lasting legacy in the area.
Another notable individual with the Parenteau surname was Marie-Anne Parenteau (1781-1867), a French-Canadian educator and community leader. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the Québec region and was instrumental in promoting education and literacy among the local population.
In the 19th century, the Parenteau name spread further across North America, with families settling in various regions, including the United States. One example is Joseph Parenteau (1823-1892), a French-American businessman who established a successful lumber company in the state of Michigan.
Throughout history, the Parenteau surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, writers, politicians, and military figures. While some achieved notable accomplishments, many others lived ordinary lives, contributing to the rich tapestry of their communities and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parenteau
Among Census respondents with the surname Parenteau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Parenteau 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 Parenteau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 1,872
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 80
- Two or more races3.7% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parenteau
Parenteau 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
#13,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,245
+16 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 788 places
2020
#13,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,073
-172 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 425 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,721 | 2,229 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,509 | 2,245 | 0.76 | +16 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 788 places |
| 2020 | #13,934 | 2,073 | 0.69 | -172 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 425 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 Parenteau 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 | #13,509 | #13,934 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,245 | 2,073 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.69 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parenteau bearers went from 2,245 to 2,073 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 425 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,509 to #13,934.
FAQ
Parenteau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parenteau?
Name Census estimates that about 2,377 living Americans carry the surname Parenteau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,196 residents.
How common is Parenteau?
Parenteau ranks #13,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,073 people with the surname Parenteau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Parenteau.
Has Parenteau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parenteau went from 2,245 recorded bearers to 2,073. That is a decrease of 172 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,509 to #13,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Parenteau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parenteau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Parenteau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,872 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parenteau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Parenteau (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 Parenteau mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a group of poplar trees or a poplar grove. 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 Parenteau (0.69 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 common is the surname Parenteau?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Parenteau on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.