Explore the Family Name Cheneau

The meaning of Cheneau

French (also Chêneau, Chéneau): topographic name from a diminutive of Old French chesne ‘oak’ (see Chene), or a habitational name from (Le) Cheneau, (Le) Chêneau or (Le) Chéneau, names of several places in various parts of France. Compare Chenault. History: This surname is listed along with its altered form Chenault in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Cheneau in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cheneau saw a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 117,538th most popular surname, rising to the 116,829th spot by 2010 – a growth rate of around 0.6%. The count of individuals bearing the name also increased, from 137 in 2000 to 149 by 2010. However, the proportion of people with the surname Cheneau per 100k remained consistent at 0.05.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#117,538	#116,829	0.6%
Count	137	149	8.76%
Proportion per 100k	0.05	0.05	0%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cheneau

Regarding the ethnicity associated with the surname Cheneau, analysis of the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts in its distribution. In 2000, nearly all individuals (96.35%) with this surname identified as Black. By 2010, while still a substantial majority, this percentage had fallen slightly to 95.30%. Interestingly, the White population with this surname rose from nonexistent in 2000 to 3.36% in 2010. Other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native did not appear significantly tied to the Cheneau surname, remaining at zero or suppressed for privacy in both census years.

	2000	2010	Change
Black	96.35%	95.3%	-1.09%
White	0%	3.36%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
Hispanic	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%