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

Praileau, 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 Praileau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Praileau in America

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

The Praileau 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 Praileau.

The history of the last name Praileau

The surname PRAILEAU originated in France during the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "pré" meaning meadow and "l'eau" meaning water, suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived near a meadow by a body of water. The earliest known spelling variations include Prailleau, Praillau, and Praillo.

Records from the 17th century indicate the PRAILEAU name was prominent in the regions of Poitou and Saintonge in western France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jean Praileau, born in 1625 in the village of Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Saintonge. He was a farmer and landowner whose family had lived in the area for generations.

In the late 18th century, during the French Revolution, several members of the PRAILEAU family were persecuted for their aristocratic ties. Notable among them was Henri Praileau (1755-1794), a nobleman and supporter of the monarchy who was executed by guillotine in Paris in 1794.

The PRAILEAU name also has ties to the nearby region of Normandy. One prominent bearer was Alexandre Praileau (1790-1862), a successful merchant and shipowner from the port city of Le Havre. His son, Emile Praileau (1822-1891), was a renowned painter and sculptor who studied under renowned French artists of the time.

Another notable figure was Marie-Thérèse Praileau (1868-1945), a social activist and pioneer in the early feminist movement in France. She campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 20th century, the PRAILEAU name gained recognition through the work of writer and philosopher Jacques Praileau (1914-2001). His philosophical treatises and novels exploring existentialism and the human condition were widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Praileau

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

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 Praileau 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.

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

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

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