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

Valleau, 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 Valleau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valleau in America

Valleau is the 53419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valleau surname appeared 387 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 Valleau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valleau 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 Valleau

The surname Valleau originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of Normandy and Brittany, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "val," meaning "valley," and likely referred to someone who lived in or near a valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Valleau can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de Vallee," reflecting its French origins.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Raoul de Valleau was mentioned in the records of the Duchy of Normandy. He was a knight and landowner who participated in the Third Crusade, led by King Richard I of England, from 1189 to 1192.

During the 13th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Vallay" or "Vallaie," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in that era. One notable bearer of the name was Jean de Vallay, a merchant and landowner from the town of Rouen, who was born around 1260 and died in 1312.

In the 14th century, the surname Valleau began to spread beyond its original regions as families migrated to other parts of France and Europe. One prominent figure was Guillaume Valleau, a cleric and scholar who was born in 1324 in the village of Valleau, near Chartres. He served as a tutor to the children of King Charles V of France and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 16th century, the name Valleau was found in various parts of France, including the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France. One notable bearer of the name was Pierre Valleau, a Huguenot (French Protestant) who fled religious persecution in France and settled in England in 1572. He became a successful merchant and was granted citizenship in the city of London.

As the surname Valleau continued to spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent further variations in spelling, including Valeau, Valloo, and Vallowe. Some notable individuals with this surname include Jacques Valleau (1592-1672), a French painter and engraver; Charles Valleau (1762-1844), a French military officer who served under Napoleon; and Émile Valleau (1838-1912), a French architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings in Paris.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valleau

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

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

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

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