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

Picard, 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 Picard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Picard in America

Picard is the 4491st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Picard surname appeared 7,898 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Picard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Picard 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 Picard

The surname Picard originates from the northern French region of Picardy, which lies along the English Channel. The name itself derives from the Old French word "picart", which means someone from Picardy. It is believed that the name emerged sometime during the medieval period, after the region of Picardy became more defined.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Picard surname can be found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. Here, a landowner named Radulfus Picardus is listed as holding lands in Lincolnshire, England. This suggests that the Picard surname had already spread from its French origins to England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Picard (c. 1225-1307) served as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1285 to 1307. He played a significant role in the dissolution of the Templar Order and was eventually imprisoned by the King of France.

During the 15th century, a renowned French mathematician and astronomer named Jean Picard (1620-1682) made important contributions to the field of astronomy. He is best known for his precise measurements of the Earth's size and the calculation of the length of a meridian arc.

Another prominent individual with the Picard surname was the French playwright and actor, René Picard (1636-1711). He was a member of the Comédie-Française and wrote several successful plays during his lifetime.

In the late 18th century, a French-Swiss explorer named Jacques Picard (1768-1828) became the first person to ascend to a great height in a hot air balloon. His historic flight took place in 1784, reaching an altitude of over 9,000 feet.

Throughout history, the Picard surname has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Picardville, Picauville, and Picardie. These locations likely derived their names from the Picard surname or from the broader region of Picardy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Picard

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

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

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

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