2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Valcour
A French surname derived from the name of a location, possibly meaning "valley-court" or "vale of the court".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Valcour. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valcour surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Valcour in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valcour, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valcour
The surname Valcour has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French words "val" meaning "valley" and "cour" meaning "courtyard" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living in a valley or near a courtyard.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Valcour can be found in the Rolls of Normandy from the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in the Armorial Général, a collection of French noble arms compiled in the late 17th century, indicating that the family held a certain degree of prominence and status.
The Valcour name is closely associated with the region of Normandy in northern France. There are several villages and hamlets bearing the name, such as Valcour-sur-Mer and Valcour-le-Haut, suggesting that the name may have originated in these areas or that members of the Valcour family held land or property there.
During the medieval period, the Valcour family played a role in the conflicts between France and England, known as the Hundred Years' War. Jean de Valcour (1325-1389) was a prominent knight who fought alongside the French forces and was renowned for his bravery and military prowess.
In the 16th century, Jacques de Valcour (1520-1587) was a renowned scholar and philosopher who studied at the University of Paris. He wrote several influential works on theology and ethics, contributing to the intellectual discourse of the time.
Another notable figure was Marie de Valcour (1650-1718), a noblewoman who served as a lady-in-waiting to the French queen, Marie Thérèse of Spain. Her memoirs offer valuable insights into the life and customs of the French court during the reign of Louis XIV.
During the French Revolution, the Valcour family played a significant role in supporting the revolutionary cause. Pierre Valcour (1755-1823) was a prominent politician and a member of the National Convention, where he advocated for the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic.
In more recent history, Jacques Valcour (1892-1972) was a renowned French architect who designed several iconic buildings in Paris, including the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais. His works are celebrated for their blend of classical and modern architectural styles.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Valcour throughout history, demonstrating its deep roots and significance within French culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valcour
Among Census respondents with the surname Valcour, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Valcour bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Valcour surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.9% · 72
- Black or African American16.5% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 9
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valcour
Valcour appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,783 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-13 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,033 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,783 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 11,033 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Valcour surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #154,182 | -7.7% |
| Count | 116 | 103 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valcour bearers went from 116 to 103 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 11,033 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #154,182.
FAQ
Valcour surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valcour?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Valcour. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Valcour?
Valcour ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Valcour. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Valcour.
Has Valcour become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valcour went from 116 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Valcour?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valcour, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Hispanic (8.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Valcour in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.9% (72 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valcour appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.9%), Black (16.5%), Hispanic (8.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Valcour (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Valcour mean?
A French surname derived from the name of a location, possibly meaning "valley-court" or "vale of the court". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Valcour (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Valcour?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.