2000
#11,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Robitaille
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French word "robetor," meaning a maker or seller of robes or clothing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,823 Americans carry the last name Robitaille. That puts it at #12,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Robitaille 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
2.8K
1 in 121,415
Census rank
#12,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,462 bearers of the surname Robitaille in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Robitaille, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Robitaille
The surname Robitaille is of French origin, originating in the northern regions of France during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French words "robe" and "tailleur," which translates to "robe maker" or "tailor." This connection to the tailoring profession suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the clothing trade.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Robitaille can be found in the 13th-century records of the Normandy region. The name appears with various spellings, such as Robitaille, Robytaille, and Robytaillye, reflecting the phonetic variations of the time. These early records often mention individuals from small villages or hamlets, indicating the rural origins of the name.
In the 16th century, the Robitaille surname began to appear more frequently in parish records and local chronicles across northern France. Notable figures from this period include Jean Robitaille (c. 1530-1598), a respected tailor and merchant from the town of Amiens, and Marie Robitaille (c. 1560-1622), who was recorded as the wife of a prominent landowner in the village of Arras.
As the French colonial empire expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries, many Robitailles immigrated to the Americas, particularly to the regions of Quebec and Acadia (present-day Atlantic Canada). One of the earliest documented Robitailles in the New World was Pierre Robitaille (1642-1712), who settled in Quebec City and became a successful fur trader and landowner.
Another notable figure was Jacques Robitaille (1705-1778), a farmer and militia captain who played a role in the defense of Quebec during the French and Indian War. His descendant, Ludger Robitaille (1813-1888), was a prominent businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Robitaille name continued to be associated with various professions and walks of life. Some notable individuals include:
1. Théodore Robitaille (1834-1919), a renowned French-Canadian architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Quebec.
2. Émile Robitaille (1866-1942), a journalist and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Quebec.
3. Léon Robitaille (1875-1955), a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations in Montreal.
4. Fernand Robitaille (1900-1972), a respected lawyer and judge who served on the Superior Court of Quebec.
5. Lucien Robitaille (1910-1993), a renowned linguist and professor who made significant contributions to the study of the French language in Canada.
While the Robitaille surname is most prevalent in Canada, particularly in the province of Quebec, it can also be found in other parts of the world where French settlers and immigrants established communities, such as the United States, France, and various countries in the Caribbean and South America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Robitaille
Among Census respondents with the surname Robitaille, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Robitaille 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 Robitaille surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,273
- Two or more races3.0% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Robitaille
Robitaille 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
#11,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,611
+50 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 647 places
2020
#12,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,462
-149 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,321 | 2,561 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,968 | 2,611 | 0.89 | +50 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 647 places |
| 2020 | #12,087 | 2,462 | 0.82 | -149 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 119 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 Robitaille 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 | #11,968 | #12,087 | -1.0% |
| Count | 2,611 | 2,462 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.82 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Robitaille bearers went from 2,611 to 2,462 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,968 to #12,087.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Robitaille
FAQ
Robitaille surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Robitaille?
Name Census estimates that about 2,823 living Americans carry the surname Robitaille. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,415 residents.
How common is Robitaille?
Robitaille ranks #12,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,462 people with the surname Robitaille. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,823), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Robitaille.
Has Robitaille become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Robitaille went from 2,611 recorded bearers to 2,462. That is a decrease of 149 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,968 to #12,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Robitaille?
Among Census respondents with the surname Robitaille, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Robitaille in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,273 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Robitaille appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Robitaille (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 Robitaille mean?
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French word "robetor," meaning a maker or seller of robes or clothing. 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 Robitaille (0.82 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 common is the surname Robitaille?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Robitaille on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.