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

Rabalais, 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 Rabalais surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rabalais in America

Rabalais is the 17516th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rabalais surname appeared 1,609 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 Rabalais.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rabalais 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 Rabalais

The surname Rabalais originates from the French region of Normandy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "rable" and "laise," which collectively translate to "rabbit meadow" or "rabbit pasture." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who resided near or worked on such lands.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Rabelais, Rabeillays, and Rabaillart, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling during that era. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Fécamp, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century, which mentions a "Raoul Rabalais" among its records.

The Rabalais family likely played a notable role in the region's agricultural and pastoral activities, as evidenced by the name's connection to rabbit meadows. However, specific historical figures bearing this surname are scarce until the 16th century, when François Rabelais (c. 1494-1553), a renowned French Renaissance writer, scholar, and humanist, became one of the most prominent individuals to carry the name. His satirical works, such as Gargantua and Pantagruel, have become literary classics and have secured his place in the annals of French literature.

Another notable figure was Pierre Rabalais (c. 1540-1610), a French mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of logarithms and was a contemporary of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms. Rabalais' work on logarithmic tables and his collaboration with Napier helped advance the field of mathematics during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, Jacques Rabalais (1623-1697) was a French architect who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the Great Fire of London in 1666. His designs contributed to the rebuilding of several churches and public buildings in the city, leaving a lasting impact on London's architectural landscape.

Moving into the 19th century, Marie-Antoinette Rabalais (1812-1888) was a French educator and feminist who advocated for women's rights and access to education. She established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for women during a time when such efforts were groundbreaking.

Finally, in the 20th century, Pierre-Marie Rabalais (1920-2004) was a French-American physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the field of surface science. His research on the interactions between solid surfaces and gases laid the groundwork for advancements in materials science and catalysis, and he was widely recognized for his pioneering work in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rabalais

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

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

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

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