2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thouvenin
A French surname referring to someone from the region of Thouvénin or Theuvenin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Thouvenin. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thouvenin 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Thouvenin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thouvenin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thouvenin
The surname THOUVENIN is of French origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period in the regions of eastern and northeastern France, particularly in areas such as Franche-Comté, Burgundy, and Lorraine. It is derived from the Old French word "thovene," which means a young oak tree or sapling.
This surname is believed to have initially been a descriptive name, referring to someone who lived near or was associated with an area where oak trees were abundant. It may have also been used as a locational surname, indicating that the original bearer came from a specific place or settlement with a name related to oak trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the THOUVENIN name can be found in the records of the town of Besançon, in the Franche-Comté region, dating back to the 14th century. A document from 1376 mentions a certain "Jean Thovenim," indicating the presence of the surname in that area during that time period.
In the 15th century, the THOUVENIN surname appears in various manuscripts and records from the Burgundian Netherlands, which included parts of modern-day eastern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. For example, a record from Dijon in 1487 refers to a "Pierre Thouvenin" who was a cloth merchant.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the THOUVENIN surname continued to be prevalent in the eastern regions of France, particularly in areas such as Lorraine and Alsace. Notable individuals with this surname from this period include:
1. Jacques Thouvenin (c. 1550-1617), a French sculptor and architect from Nancy, responsible for several notable works in the Lorraine region.
2. Étienne Thouvenin (1603-1679), a French Jesuit priest and mathematician from Dijon, who made contributions to the study of optics and geometry.
In the 18th century, the THOUVENIN surname can be found in various records from the Champagne and Burgundy regions. One notable figure was Pierre-Nicolas Thouvenin (1735-1811), a French politician and lawyer from Langres who served as a deputy in the Estates-General during the early stages of the French Revolution.
As the surname spread across France over the centuries, it also took on various spelling variations, such as Thouvenet, Thouvenot, and Thouveneau, reflecting regional linguistic differences and transcription errors.
Other notable individuals with the THOUVENIN surname throughout history include:
3. Jean-Baptiste Thouvenin (1790-1868), a French painter and engraver from Nancy, known for his landscape and architectural works.
4. Léon Thouvenin (1844-1920), a French politician and lawyer from Vesoul, who served as a deputy in the National Assembly.
5. Lucien Thouvenin (1892-1981), a French sculptor and medalist from Lorraine, known for his religious and commemorative works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thouvenin
Among Census respondents with the surname Thouvenin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Thouvenin 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 Thouvenin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thouvenin
Thouvenin 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,060 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 11,060 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 725 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 Thouvenin 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 | #154,907 | #154,182 | 0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 103 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thouvenin bearers went from 105 to 103 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,182.
FAQ
Thouvenin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thouvenin?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Thouvenin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Thouvenin?
Thouvenin ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Thouvenin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Thouvenin.
Has Thouvenin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thouvenin went from 105 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Thouvenin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thouvenin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Thouvenin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thouvenin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Thouvenin (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 Thouvenin mean?
A French surname referring to someone from the region of Thouvénin or Theuvenin. 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 Thouvenin (0.03 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 share the surname Thouvenin?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.