2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Perdieu
A French surname derived from the expletive "par Dieu" (by God), once used by the clergy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Perdieu. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Perdieu 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Perdieu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Perdieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Perdieu
The surname PERDIEU originated in France during the late medieval period, deriving from the French words "perdre" and "Dieu," which translate to "to lose" and "God," respectively. It was likely a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who was known for frequently invoking God's name, perhaps due to a habit of uttering the phrase "pardie" or "pardieu," meaning "by God."
The earliest recorded instances of the PERDIEU surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of northern France, including Normandy, Picardy, and Île-de-France. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Pardieu, Pardiou, and Perdeu, reflecting regional dialectal variations and scribal inconsistencies of the time.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the PERDIEU surname was Jean Perdieu, a merchant from Rouen, Normandy, who was mentioned in a legal document dated 1286. Another notable early record is that of Guillaume Perdieu, a landowner from Amiens, Picardy, whose name appeared in a tax register from 1312.
In the 14th century, the PERDIEU surname gained prominence in the region of Île-de-France, particularly in the city of Paris. One notable figure was Pierre Perdieu, a master stonemason who contributed to the construction of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris during the late 1300s.
The PERDIEU name also found its way into various historical records and manuscripts from the medieval period, including parish registers, legal documents, and chronicles. For instance, a certain Jehan Perdieu was mentioned in a court record from Troyes, Champagne, in 1428, accused of engaging in a brawl with a fellow citizen.
As the PERDIEU family spread throughout France over the centuries, several notable individuals emerged. One such person was Jacques Perdieu (1599-1675), a renowned theologian and author from Lyon, who wrote several influential works on religious philosophy. Another was Marie-Anne Perdieu (1720-1795), a celebrated French actress and playwright from Paris, known for her performances in comedic roles.
In the 19th century, the PERDIEU name gained further recognition with the birth of Eugène Perdieu (1834-1915), a prominent French sculptor and painter who studied under the renowned artist Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. His works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon and can be found in various museums across France.
Throughout history, the PERDIEU surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, scholars, and tradesmen, all contributing to the rich tapestry of French cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Perdieu
Among Census respondents with the surname Perdieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Perdieu 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 Perdieu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Perdieu
Perdieu 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+26 bearers (+24.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,800 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-26 bearers (-19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +26 bearers (+24.5%) | Up 14,800 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-19.7%) | Down 23,292 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 Perdieu 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 | #129,047 | #152,339 | -18.0% |
| Count | 132 | 106 | -19.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Perdieu bearers went from 132 to 106 (-19.7% change). The surname moved down 23,292 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #152,339.
FAQ
Perdieu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Perdieu?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Perdieu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Perdieu?
Perdieu ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Perdieu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Perdieu.
Has Perdieu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Perdieu went from 132 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 26 (-19.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Perdieu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Perdieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Perdieu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Perdieu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (7.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Perdieu (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 Perdieu mean?
A French surname derived from the expletive "par Dieu" (by God), once used by the clergy. 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 Perdieu (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 Americans have the surname Perdieu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.