Toussaint last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Toussaint

Of French origin, denoting a person with curly or bristly hair.

Toussaint, 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 Toussaint surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toussaint in America

Toussaint is the 54296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toussaint surname appeared 380 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Toussaint.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toussaint 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 54296 57090 -5.02%
Count 380 334 12.89%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.12 8.00%

The history of the last name Toussaint

The surname Tousant has its origins in France, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "tousant," which means "all saints." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for individuals associated with a religious order or those who had a deep reverence for saints.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tousant can be found in the parish records of Normandy, where a certain Jean Tousant was mentioned in 1589. This region was known for its rich history and strong ties to the Catholic Church, which further supports the religious connotations of the name.

During the 17th century, the Tousant surname began to appear in various historical documents across France, particularly in the regions of Brittany and Poitou-Charentes. In 1637, a nobleman named Jacques Tousant was documented as a landowner in the village of Saumur, located in the Loire Valley.

As the name spread throughout France, it also underwent some variations in spelling, such as Touzant and Tousaint. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the influence of regional dialects.

One notable individual with the surname Tousant was Pierre Tousant (1720-1793), a French military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He joined the Continental Army and fought alongside General George Washington, earning recognition for his valor and strategic contributions.

Another significant figure bearing the Tousant name was Jean-Baptiste Tousant (1745-1810), a French general who played a pivotal role in the Haitian Revolution. He is celebrated as one of the founding fathers of Haiti and a symbol of resistance against colonial oppression.

In the 19th century, the Tousant surname continued to be associated with notable figures, such as Louis Tousant (1825-1901), a prominent French architect who designed several landmark buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

Marie Tousant (1858-1924), a French writer and feminist activist, was another influential figure who championed women's rights and education during her lifetime.

Throughout its history, the surname Tousant has maintained a strong connection to its French roots and religious origins, reflecting the cultural and historical significance of saints in the country's heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toussaint

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

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 Toussaint was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 26.84% 102
Non-Hispanic Black Only 68.16% 259
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.84% 7
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.84% 7
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Toussaint has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 26.84% 26.35% 1.84%
Black 68.16% 71.56% -4.87%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.84% 0.00% 200.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.84% 1.50% 20.36%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Toussaint last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/tousant-surname-popularity/.

"Toussaint last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/tousant-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Toussaint last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/tousant-surname-popularity/.

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