Poutre last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Poutre

A French surname derived from the word "poutre" meaning "beam" or "timber".

Poutre, 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 Poutre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poutre in America

Poutre is the 54990th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poutre surname appeared 374 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 Poutre.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poutre 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 54990 55124 -0.24%
Count 374 349 6.92%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.13 0.00%

The history of the last name Poutre

The surname Poutre has its origins in France, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "poutre," which means "beam" or "rafter," suggesting that the name may have originated from a profession or trade related to carpentry or woodworking.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Poutre can be found in the Livre des Métiers, a 13th-century manuscript that documented the trades and professions in Paris. This document mentions several individuals with variations of the name, such as Poutreau and Poutrel, indicating their association with the construction industry.

During the 14th century, the surname Poutre began to appear in various regional records across northern France, particularly in areas like Picardy and Normandy. This suggests that the name may have originated in these regions, where timber-framed construction was prevalent.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jean Poutre (c. 1420-1485) was a prominent architect and master builder in the city of Rouen, known for his work on the Palais de Justice and other significant structures. His legacy as a skilled craftsman likely contributed to the recognition and spread of the surname.

Another notable individual bearing the surname Poutre was Nicolas Poutre (1594-1657), a French playwright and poet from Paris. His works, including several comedies and tragedies, were performed in the early days of the Comédie-Française theater.

In the 18th century, a French military officer named Jacques-René Poutre (1720-1789) rose to the rank of Brigadier General and served in several campaigns during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. His distinguished service brought further recognition to the surname.

The surname Poutre has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Poutreville, a commune in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Poutres, a village in the department of Ardennes. These place names may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname in their respective regions.

While the surname Poutre is not among the most common in France, it has maintained a presence throughout history, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, including architecture, literature, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poutre

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

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 Poutre was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.85% 351
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.34% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.34% 5
Hispanic Origin 3.21% 12

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 Poutre has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.85% 97.13% -3.43%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.34% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.34% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.21% 2.29% 33.45%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Poutre last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 14, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/poutre-surname-popularity/.

"Poutre last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/poutre-surname-popularity/. Accessed 14 August, 2025

Poutre last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/poutre-surname-popularity/.

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