2000
#12,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,216
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Patenaude
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pâté, a type of meat paste.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,464 Americans carry the last name Patenaude. That puts it at #13,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,105 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patenaude 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
2.5K
1 in 139,105
Census rank
#13,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,149 bearers of the surname Patenaude in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patenaude, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patenaude
The surname Patenaude originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "patenaille," which means "a ring of metal shaped like a plate." This term was likely used to refer to a small metal disc or ring worn as a decorative item or as part of a piece of clothing or armor.
The name Patenaude can be traced back to the region of Normandy in northern France, where it was first recorded in historical records dating back to the 12th century. The earliest known bearers of this surname were likely involved in metalworking or the production of these metal discs or rings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Patenaude appears in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen," a medieval manuscript from the city of Rouen in Normandy, which lists a certain Jehan Patenaude as a resident in the year 1316.
Another notable early reference to the name Patenaude can be found in the "Rôles des Fiefs du Duché de Normandie," a census-like record of feudal landholdings in Normandy from the 14th century. This document mentions a Guillaume Patenaude as a landholder in the village of Vieux-Bourg in the year 1367.
Over the centuries, the name Patenaude has been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Patenaille, Patenaud, and Patenôde, reflecting the evolution of the French language and regional dialects.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Patenaude was Jacques Patenaude, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Rouen in the late 15th century (c. 1470-1532). Another notable figure was Jean Patenaude, a soldier who fought in the French Wars of Religion during the 16th century (c. 1540-1598).
In the 17th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Pierre Patenaude (1612-1682), a wealthy landowner and businessman from the town of Caen in Normandy. His son, Nicolas Patenaude (1645-1718), was a respected lawyer and judge in the same region.
Another individual of note was Marie-Anne Patenaude (1720-1785), a philanthropist and patron of the arts from the city of Rouen, who was known for her support of local artists and cultural initiatives.
While the Patenaude name has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to North America and other French-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patenaude
Among Census respondents with the surname Patenaude, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Patenaude 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 Patenaude surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 2,015
- Two or more races2.7% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 45
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patenaude
Patenaude 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
#13,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,292
+76 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 528 places
2020
#13,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,149
-143 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,778 | 2,216 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,306 | 2,292 | 0.78 | +76 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 528 places |
| 2020 | #13,522 | 2,149 | 0.72 | -143 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 216 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 Patenaude 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 | #13,306 | #13,522 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,292 | 2,149 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.72 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patenaude bearers went from 2,292 to 2,149 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,306 to #13,522.
FAQ
Patenaude surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patenaude?
Name Census estimates that about 2,464 living Americans carry the surname Patenaude. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,105 residents.
How common is Patenaude?
Patenaude ranks #13,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,149 people with the surname Patenaude. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,464), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Patenaude.
Has Patenaude become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patenaude went from 2,292 recorded bearers to 2,149. That is a decrease of 143 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,306 to #13,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Patenaude?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patenaude, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Patenaude in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (2,015 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patenaude appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Patenaude (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 Patenaude mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pâté, a type of meat paste. 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 Patenaude (0.72 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 are called Patenaude?
Find out how common the surname Patenaude is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.