2000
#10,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,707
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Plaisance
A French locational surname derived from a place name meaning "pleasant place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,070 Americans carry the last name Plaisance. That puts it at #11,284 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,646 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plaisance 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
3.1K
1 in 111,646
Census rank
#11,284
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,677 bearers of the surname Plaisance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11284th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plaisance, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plaisance
Among Census respondents with the surname Plaisance, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Plaisance 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 Plaisance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 2,350
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 138
- Two or more races3.3% · 88
- Black or African American1.8% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plaisance
Plaisance 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
#11,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,822
+115 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 391 places
2020
#11,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,677
-145 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,809 | 2,707 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,200 | 2,822 | 0.96 | +115 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 391 places |
| 2020 | #11,284 | 2,677 | 0.90 | -145 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 84 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 Plaisance 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 | #11,200 | #11,284 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,822 | 2,677 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.90 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plaisance bearers went from 2,822 to 2,677 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,200 to #11,284.
FAQ
Plaisance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plaisance?
Name Census estimates that about 3,070 living Americans carry the surname Plaisance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,646 residents.
How common is Plaisance?
Plaisance ranks #11,284 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,677 people with the surname Plaisance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,070), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Plaisance.
Has Plaisance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plaisance went from 2,822 recorded bearers to 2,677. That is a decrease of 145 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,200 to #11,284.
What does the Census say about the background of Plaisance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plaisance, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Plaisance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (2,350 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plaisance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Plaisance (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 Plaisance mean?
A French locational surname derived from a place name meaning "pleasant place." 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 Plaisance (0.90 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 Plaisance?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.