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

Rheaume, 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 Rheaume surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rheaume in America

Rheaume is the 17367th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rheaume surname appeared 1,626 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 Rheaume.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rheaume 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 Rheaume

The surname Rheaume has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "riaume," which means "stream" or "small river."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rheaume can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Reaume," which was likely the Norman French spelling at the time.

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded in various medieval manuscripts and documents, such as the Livre des Rois, a French chronicle from the late 13th century, where it was spelled "Reaumme."

The Rheaume family likely originated from a place name that incorporated the word "riaume," indicating their proximity to a stream or small river. This was a common practice during the Middle Ages, where surnames were often derived from geographical features or locations.

One notable individual with the surname Rheaume was Jean Rheaume, a French military officer born in 1589. He served under King Louis XIII and participated in the Siege of La Rochelle during the Huguenot rebellions.

Another historical figure was Pierre Rheaume, a French explorer and fur trader who lived in the late 17th century. He was among the first Europeans to establish trade relations with various Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region of what is now Canada.

In the 18th century, Jacques Rheaume, born in 1721, was a prominent merchant and landowner in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). He played a significant role in the island's economic development during that period.

Moving into the 19th century, Marie-Anne Rheaume, born in 1814, was a renowned Canadian author and educator. She published several works on history and literature, contributing to the cultural and intellectual life of Quebec.

Finally, in the 20th century, Louis Rheaume, born in 1917, was a respected Canadian politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Canadian Parliament for over two decades, representing the riding of Saint-Maurice–Laflèche in Quebec.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rheaume

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!