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

Perreault, 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 Perreault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perreault in America

Perreault is the 7528th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perreault surname appeared 4,420 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Perreault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perreault 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 Perreault

The surname Perreault is of French origin, and it can be traced back to medieval times in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. The name is derived from the Old French word "perrel," which means "small rock" or "pebble." This suggests that the name may have been originally a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near a rocky area or worked with stones.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Perreault name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a certain "Robertus Perelius" as a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire, England. This indicates that the name had already spread beyond France by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, historical records mention a nobleman named Jean Perreault, who served as a knight under the French king Louis IX. Jean Perreault is believed to have participated in the Seventh Crusade, which took place between 1248 and 1254.

During the 16th century, the Perreault name gained prominence in the region of Normandy, where several families bearing this surname were involved in the textile trade and held positions of local importance. One notable figure from this era was Jacques Perreault (1525-1588), a merchant and alderman in the city of Rouen.

The 17th century saw the Perreault name spread further across Europe, with some families migrating to the New World. In 1638, a man named Pierre Perreault (1612-1678) arrived in the French colony of Canada, where he became one of the earliest settlers in the region of Quebec.

Another significant figure bearing the Perreault name was François-Marie Perreault (1753-1844), a French Catholic priest and writer who lived during the time of the French Revolution. He was known for his works on religious philosophy and his opposition to the revolutionary ideals of the time.

As the Perreault name continued to spread throughout the centuries, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Perault, Perrault, and Perreau. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its French roots and continues to be a prominent surname in many parts of the world, particularly in France, Canada, and other regions with significant French-speaking populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perreault

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

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

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

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