Explore the Family Name Dagenais

The meaning of Dagenais

French: habitational name, with fused preposition d(e) ‘from’, for someone from Agenais, a region in Lot-et-Garonne. This surname is virtually non-existing in France. Compare Dashnaw and Dashner 2. History: The progenitor of the (American) Dagenaises was Pierre Dagenais dit Lépine from La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime, France, who married Anne Brandon in Montreal, QC, in 1665. His descendants also bear altered forms of the surname, such as Dashnaw and Dashner. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Alain, Armand, Dominique, Jacques, Jean Louis, Marcel, Martial, Sylvain.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dagenais saw a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked at 27,526th most popular, and by 2010, it rose to 27,164th, marking a 1.32% climb. The count of people with this surname also saw growth from 824 individuals in 2000 to 891 in 2010, an increase of 8.13%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people slightly declined by 3.23%, from 0.31 in 2000 to 0.30 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#27,526#27,1641.32%
Count8248918.13%
Proportion per 100k0.310.3-3.23%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dagenais

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Dagenais also shifted somewhat over the same decade, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In terms of the overall distribution, the majority identified as White, though there was a slight decrease, from 97.69% in 2000 to 95.74% in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic experienced small increases, rising from 0.73% to 0.90% and 0.85% to 1.01% respectively. A significant shift occurred among those identifying with two or more races, jumping from 0.61% in 2000 to 2.13% in 2010, a remarkable change of 249.18%. There were no changes for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native, with both categories recording 0% in both years.

20002010Change
White97.69%95.74%-2%
Two or More Races0.61%2.13%249.18%
Hispanic0.85%1.01%18.82%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.73%0.9%23.29%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%