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

Soileau, 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 Soileau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Soileau in America

Soileau is the 8232nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Soileau surname appeared 4,027 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 Soileau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Soileau 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 Soileau

The surname Soileau originates from France, specifically the Poitou region in the western part of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime around the 11th or 12th century.

Soileau is derived from the Old French word "soilleau," which means "little swine" or "young pig." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone who worked with pigs or lived near a place associated with pigs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Soileau can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Gand, a historical record from the city of Ghent in modern-day Belgium, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a person named "Jehan Soilleau."

The surname Soileau also appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from the Poitou region, such as the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Cyprien de Poitiers, which dates back to the 12th century. These records often include different spellings, such as "Soilleau," "Soilheau," and "Soilliau."

One notable individual with the surname Soileau was Jean Soileau (1550-1620), a French Protestant who fled religious persecution and settled in England during the late 16th century. He became a prominent merchant and was involved in establishing trade routes between England and France.

Another significant figure was Marie-Anne Soileau (1695-1768), a French noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in the city of Poitiers. Her charitable efforts earned her widespread recognition and respect during her lifetime.

In the 18th century, a family with the surname Soileau emigrated from France to Canada, settling in the region of Acadia (now Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick). One of their descendants, Pierre Soileau (1765-1842), played a role in the Acadian resistance against the British during the Expulsion of the Acadians in the mid-18th century.

The surname Soileau also found its way to Louisiana in the United States, likely through French settlers and Acadian refugees who arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One prominent individual with this name was Joseph Soileau (1820-1891), a Louisiana politician and plantation owner who served in the state legislature during the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War.

Throughout history, the surname Soileau has been associated with various notable individuals, ranging from merchants and noblemen to resistance fighters and politicians, reflecting the diverse origins and experiences of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Soileau

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

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

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

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