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

Theriault, 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 Theriault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Theriault in America

Theriault is the 5894th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Theriault surname appeared 5,855 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Theriault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Theriault 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 Theriault

The surname Theriault has its origins in France, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word 'theor', meaning thresher or harvester, and the suffix '-iault', indicating a profession or status. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who worked as a thresher or harvester of crops.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various French documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, often appearing as 'Theriaud' or 'Theriaut'. These variations in spelling were common during that time, as orthography was not yet standardized.

One notable historical reference to the name is in the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Vignory" from the 13th century, which mentions a certain 'Jehan Theriault' as a landowner in the region of Champagne.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the "Registres de la Chambre des Comptes de Bretagne" in connection with a family from the town of Ploërmel in Brittany. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of France by that time.

Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the surname Theriault have left their mark in various fields. One of the earliest recorded was Jacques Theriault (1550-1625), a French poet and playwright from Rouen, known for his works inspired by classical mythology.

Another notable figure was Marie-Anne Theriault (1670-1738), a French-Canadian settler who was one of the first European women to give birth in the colony of Acadia (now Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick).

In the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Theriault (1801-1879) was a prominent French-Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.

The name also found its way into the arts, with Louise Theriault (1860-1925), a French painter and sculptor who was part of the Impressionist movement and exhibited her works at the Paris Salon.

Lastly, Gustave Theriault (1890-1968) was a Canadian-American inventor and engineer who held numerous patents, including one for the first successful electric heating pad.

These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have borne the surname Theriault throughout history, reflecting its French origins and its journey across different regions and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Theriault

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

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

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

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