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.

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 4759th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toussaint surname appeared 7,441 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 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.

The history of the last name Toussaint

The surname Toussaint originated in France and is derived from the French phrase "tous les saints", meaning "all the saints". This suggests that the name may have been given to someone born on All Saints' Day or who lived near a church dedicated to all saints.

The earliest known record of the name Toussaint dates back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, France. It was likely used as a descriptive surname to identify individuals associated with a particular church, village, or area connected to All Saints' Day.

During the Middle Ages, the name Toussaint appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout France. One notable example is the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England following the Norman Conquest. The name Toussaint was listed among those who held land in the county of Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, a French noble named Geoffroy Toussaint was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX. He was known for his military prowess and served as a knight during the Seventh Crusade.

In the 15th century, a French scholar and theologian named Pierre Toussaint gained recognition for his work on the philosophy of religion. He was born in 1409 in the town of Reims and died in 1475.

During the 16th century, the name Toussaint became associated with the French aristocracy. One notable figure was François Toussaint, a nobleman and diplomat who served as the French ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, a French artist named Jacques Toussaint gained fame for his intricate engravings and etchings. He was born in Paris in 1618 and died in 1690.

Another notable individual with the surname Toussaint was Pierre Toussaint, a former slave who became a renowned philanthropist and Catholic lay leader in New York City during the early 19th century. Born in modern-day Haiti in 1766, he dedicated his life to serving the poor and sick after gaining his freedom.

Over the centuries, the surname Toussaint has been found in various places throughout France, with slight variations in spelling, such as Toussain, Toussainct, and Toussayn. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the French phrase "tous les saints".

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:

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.

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.

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