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

Provencher, 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 Provencher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Provencher in America

Provencher is the 9949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Provencher surname appeared 3,245 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 Provencher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Provencher 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 Provencher

The surname Provencher originates from France and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "provendre," which means "to provide" or "to supply." This surname was likely given to someone who worked as a supplier or purveyor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Provencher can be found in the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. It was often spelled as "Provendier" or "Provender" during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name Provencher appeared in several historical documents and records from the province of Burgundy, France. This suggests that the name may have originated or gained popularity in that region.

The Provencher surname is also linked to several place names in France, such as Provenchères, a commune in the Meuse department, and Provenchères-sur-Fave, a commune in the Vosges department. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jean Provencher (1508-1578) was a French physician and botanist who lived in Burgundy. He is known for his contributions to the study of medicinal plants and the development of herbal remedies.

Another prominent individual with the Provencher surname was René Provencher (1743-1805), a French-Canadian businessman and landowner. He played a significant role in the development of the city of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, where he owned vast tracts of land and helped establish several businesses.

In the 19th century, Sévère-Joseph-Norbert Provencher (1787-1853) was a Catholic priest and missionary who served as the first Bishop of Saint-Boniface in what is now Manitoba, Canada. He is recognized for his efforts in promoting education and establishing churches in the Canadian West.

Jean-Baptiste-Cyrille-Anselme Provencher (1833-1915) was a French-Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.

Another notable bearer of the Provencher name was Émile Provencher (1843-1915), a French-Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He founded several successful businesses in Quebec and donated generously to educational and charitable causes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Provencher

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

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

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

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