Explore the Family Name Duchesne

The meaning of Duchesne

French and Walloon: topographic name, with fused preposition and definite article du ‘from the’, from Old French chesne ‘oak’ (see Chene), or a habitational name for someone from Le Chesne, the name of several places in the northern part of France. This surname is also found in the Flemish part of Belgium. Compare Duchaine, Duchene, and Dushane. History: This surname is listed (in the form Du Chesne) in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors. Some characteristic forenames: French Camille, Jacques, Marcel, Normand, Aime, Aldege, Andre, Cecile, Laurier, Lucien, Michel, Rosaire.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Duchesne has seen a mild dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 23,617th in terms of popularity and fell slightly to 24,186th in 2010, marking a -2.41% change. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Duchesne surname increased from 1,001 in 2000 to 1,039 in 2010, showing a growth of 3.8%. However, when considering the proportion per 100k population, there was a decrease of -5.41%.

20002010Change
Rank#23,617#24,186-2.41%
Count1,0011,0393.8%
Proportion per 100k0.370.35-5.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Duchesne

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts within the Duchesne surname bearers over the decade. The percentage of those identifying as white decreased from 87.71% in 2000 to 81.71% in 2010, a change of -6.84%. Interestingly, both Hispanic and Black identities saw significant increases during the same period. The Hispanic representation jumped from 9.09% in 2000 to 13.86% in 2010, demonstrating an impressive 52.48% increase, while the Black identity grew by 47.69%, moving up from 1.30% to 1.92%. The group identifying with two or more races also grew by 22%, rising from 1.50% to 1.83%. No individuals with the Duchesne surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White87.71%81.71%-6.84%
Hispanic9.09%13.86%52.48%
Black1.3%1.92%47.69%
Two or More Races1.5%1.83%22%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%