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

Plaisance, 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 Plaisance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plaisance in America

Plaisance is the 11200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plaisance surname appeared 2,822 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Plaisance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plaisance 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 Plaisance

The surname Plaisance is of French origin and has its roots in the Old French word "plaisance," which means "pleasure" or "delight." This name likely arose as a descriptive surname referring to a place or location that was considered particularly pleasant or delightful.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Plaisance can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, such as Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. It is believed that the name may have originated as a reference to a specific place name, possibly derived from a manor, village, or estate that bore the name "Plaisance."

In the Domesday Book, a medieval manuscript completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Plaisance. However, the book does mention several place names with similar etymological roots, such as "Plessetis" and "Plessiz," which may have been related to the origin of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Plaisance was Hugues de Plaisance, a French nobleman who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX (1214-1270). Another notable individual was Jean de Plaisance, a French poet and troubadour who lived during the 14th century and was renowned for his lyrical works.

In the 15th century, the surname Plaisance appeared in the records of the city of Rouen, where a family by the name of Plaisance was involved in the local textile trade. Guillaume Plaisance (1430-1498) was a renowned merchant and burgher of Rouen during this period.

In the 16th century, the name Plaisance gained prominence in the arts, with the painter Jean-Baptiste Plaisance (1520-1589) being one of the most renowned artists of the French Renaissance. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.

During the 17th century, the surname Plaisance was associated with several prominent military figures, such as Jean-Baptiste Plaisance (1630-1703), a French officer who served under King Louis XIV and participated in numerous campaigns and battles.

In the 18th century, the name Plaisance gained literary recognition with the writer and philosopher Nicolas-Joseph Plaisance (1720-1789), whose works explored themes of ethics, morality, and social commentary. His publications were widely read and discussed among the intellectual circles of the time.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Plaisance throughout history, illustrating the widespread and diverse presence of this name across various fields and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plaisance

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

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

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

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