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

Vadnais, 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 Vadnais surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vadnais in America

Vadnais is the 19527th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vadnais surname appeared 1,383 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 Vadnais.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vadnais 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 Vadnais

The surname Vadnais originates from France, specifically in the Normandy region. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "val" meaning "valley" and "né" meaning "born," suggesting that the name initially referred to someone born in a particular valley or area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Valnei," likely referring to a place name in Normandy.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Valnay, Vaulnay, and Vaunay, reflecting the regional variations in dialect and spelling conventions of the time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert de Vadnais was recorded as a landowner in the Manche department of Normandy. His descendants continued to use the surname, and it eventually spread to other parts of France.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Jean Vadnais, a French poet and playwright born in 1586 in Rouen. He is best known for his works exploring themes of love and spirituality.

During the 17th century, several members of the Vadnais family emigrated to New France (present-day Quebec and Ontario, Canada). One of the earliest recorded settlers was Pierre Vadnais, who arrived in Quebec City in 1665.

In the 18th century, a soldier named Jacques Vadnais served in the French military during the French and Indian War. He was stationed in various forts throughout the Great Lakes region and is believed to have played a role in the defense of French territories against British forces.

The 19th century saw the Vadnais name spread further across North America. One notable figure was Louis Vadnais, a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in the American Midwest and is credited with helping to map portions of the Missouri River basin.

As the Vadnais family dispersed throughout different regions, the name evolved into different spellings, such as Vadnay, Vaudnay, and Vaudnais, reflecting the influence of local dialects and linguistic variations.

Despite its French origins, the surname Vadnais has been adopted by families of various backgrounds and can be found in various parts of the world today, a testament to the global spread and adaptability of surnames over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vadnais

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

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

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

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