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

Touchette, 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 Touchette surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Touchette in America

Touchette is the 18478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Touchette surname appeared 1,496 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 Touchette.

We can also compare 2010 data for Touchette 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 Touchette

The surname Touchette is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "touche" meaning "a little hill" or "a hillock." The name is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the area of Normandy, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Touchette can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholders and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de la Touche," referring to an individual who resided near a small hill or elevated land.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, many French families bearing the name Touchette migrated to England and other parts of the British Isles. This migration was likely facilitated by the Norman conquest of England in 1066, as well as the subsequent Anglo-Norman cultural exchange.

One notable figure in history who bore the surname Touchette was Jean Touchette (1620-1688), a French explorer and fur trader who was among the first Europeans to establish settlements in the Great Lakes region of North America. He is credited with founding the trading post of Sault Ste. Marie in present-day Michigan.

Another significant figure was Marie-Madeleine Touchette (1701-1770), a French-Canadian settler and landowner who played a key role in the early development of the Acadian community in the Canadian Maritimes. She was born in Port-Royal, Acadia (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) and is recognized as a prominent matriarch in the region's history.

In the 19th century, the surname Touchette gained recognition through the work of Louis-Joseph Touchette (1820-1892), a French-Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Canadian Confederation in 1867.

Another notable figure was Émilie Touchette (1858-1932), a French-Canadian novelist and journalist who was a prominent voice in the literary circles of Quebec. Her works, which often explored themes of social justice and women's rights, were widely acclaimed and influential during her time.

The surname Touchette has also been associated with several notable place names throughout history. For example, the village of Touchette in the French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle was named after a prominent local family bearing the surname. Similarly, the Touchette River in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan is believed to have been named after an early French-Canadian settler with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Touchette

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

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

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

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