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

Pontoon, 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 Pontoon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pontoon in America

Pontoon is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pontoon surname appeared 108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pontoon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pontoon 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 Pontoon

The surname Pontoon originated in France during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pont," meaning "bridge," and likely referred to someone who lived near a bridge or was involved in bridge construction or maintenance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pontoon can be found in the Calendars of Patent Rolls from the reign of King Edward III, dated around 1350, which mentions a person named Richard Pontoun. Another early record is a reference to a Johannis Pontoun in the tax rolls of Cambridgeshire, England, from 1379.

The name Pontoon was also found in various forms in medieval records, such as Ponten, Pontain, and Ponteyn. These variations suggest that the name may have originated from different regions of France or been influenced by local dialects.

One notable bearer of the Pontoon surname was Sir John Pontoon (c. 1520-1592), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as an ambassador to various European courts and was instrumental in negotiating treaties and alliances.

Another historical figure with this surname was Françoise Pontoon (1594-1677), a French noblewoman and courtier at the court of King Louis XIII. She was known for her influential role in court politics and her patronage of the arts.

In the 17th century, the Pontoon family established themselves in the American colonies, with records showing a William Pontoon arriving in Virginia in 1635. This branch of the family played a role in the early development of the colony and the eventual formation of the United States.

Other notable individuals with the Pontoon surname include:

1. Jacques Pontoon (1658-1742), a French explorer and fur trader who was among the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes region of North America.

2. Marie-Antoinette Pontoon (1755-1793), a French aristocrat and wife of King Louis XVI, executed during the French Revolution.

3. Charles Pontoon (1824-1892), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Pontoon Steel Company, one of the largest steel manufacturers of the 19th century.

4. Émile Pontoon (1867-1944), a French painter and sculptor associated with the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements.

5. Juliette Pontoon (1901-1975), a French resistance fighter during World War II and recipient of the Croix de Guerre for her bravery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pontoon

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

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

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

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