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

Urbain, 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 Urbain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Urbain in America

Urbain is the 54055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Urbain surname appeared 382 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 Urbain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Urbain 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 Urbain

The surname Urbain originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name Urbanus, which means "of or belonging to the city." This name was likely given to someone who lived in or came from an urban area, distinguishing them from those who lived in rural villages or the countryside.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Urbain can be found in documents from the 12th and 13th centuries in the regions of Normandy and Île-de-France. These regions were home to many cities and towns during this time period, so it is not surprising that a name related to urban living would emerge there.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Urbain was a French noble named Urbain de Villeneuve, who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX and participated in the Seventh Crusade to the Holy Land.

Another notable figure with the surname Urbain was Claude Urbain, a French mathematician and astronomer born in 1628. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is best known for his work on the theory of elliptical orbits.

In the 18th century, a French painter named Jacques Urbain Guérin gained recognition for his historical and mythological scenes. He was born in 1701 and served as a court painter to King Louis XV.

The name Urbain also has ties to the Catholic Church. Saint Urbain I was the 18th Pope, serving from 222 to 230 AD. He is considered a martyr and is the patron saint of vinedressers and vine growers.

Another prominent figure with the surname Urbain was Adolphe Urbain, a French chemist born in 1884. He is best known for his work on the separation and identification of rare earth elements, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1912.

While the name Urbain is most commonly associated with France, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with French cultural influence. However, its origins can be traced back to the Latin name Urbanus and its connection to urban living in medieval France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Urbain

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

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

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

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