2000
#8,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,388
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Robillard
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of robes, clothing, or textiles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,801 Americans carry the last name Robillard. That puts it at #9,407 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,175 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Robillard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,175
Census rank
#9,407
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,315 bearers of the surname Robillard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9407th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Robillard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Robillard
The surname Robillard has its origins in France, where it first appeared in the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "robe" meaning garment or robe, and "illard" which means maker or merchant. Thus, the name originally referred to a maker or seller of robes or fine clothing.
One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Robert Robillard, a merchant from Normandy who is mentioned in records from 1094. The name can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, suggesting that some bearers of this name may have accompanied the Norman invasion.
By the 13th century, the name had spread to various regions of France, including Brittany, Anjou, and Picardy. It was often spelled in different ways, such as Robillart, Robilliart, or Robilliard, reflecting local dialects and variations.
A notable figure bearing this name was Jacques Robillard (1478-1556), a French theologian and writer who served as the rector of the University of Paris. Another was Jean Robillard (1598-1676), a French explorer and fur trader who was among the first Europeans to establish settlements in what is now Canada.
In England, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was William Robillard, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as Robilliard.
Other notable bearers of this surname include Pierre Robillard (1621-1694), a French colonist who was one of the first settlers in Quebec, Canada, and Charles Robillard (1796-1875), a French-Canadian businessman and politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.
Over time, the name spread to other countries, including Belgium, Switzerland, and various parts of North America, particularly in areas with French colonial influence or immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in France, where it originated as an occupational surname related to the clothing trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Robillard
Among Census respondents with the surname Robillard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Robillard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Robillard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 2,810
- Black or African American6.5% · 215
- Two or more races3.6% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Robillard
Robillard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,499
+111 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 413 places
2020
#9,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,315
-184 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,888 | 3,388 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,301 | 3,499 | 1.19 | +111 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 413 places |
| 2020 | #9,407 | 3,315 | 1.11 | -184 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 106 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Robillard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,301 | #9,407 | -1.1% |
| Count | 3,499 | 3,315 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.11 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Robillard bearers went from 3,499 to 3,315 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,301 to #9,407.
FAQ
Robillard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Robillard?
Name Census estimates that about 3,801 living Americans carry the surname Robillard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,175 residents.
How common is Robillard?
Robillard ranks #9,407 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,315 people with the surname Robillard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Robillard.
Has Robillard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Robillard went from 3,499 recorded bearers to 3,315. That is a decrease of 184 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,301 to #9,407.
What does the Census say about the background of Robillard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Robillard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Robillard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (2,810 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Robillard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Robillard (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Robillard mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of robes, clothing, or textiles. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Robillard (1.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Robillard?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Robillard at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.