Explore the Family Name Duplessis
The meaning of Duplessis
French: topographic name for someone who lived by a quickset fence, Old French pleis (from Latin plexum, past participle of plectere ‘plait, weave’), with fused preposition and definite article du ‘from the’; or a habitational name for someone from Le Plessis, the name of several places mainly in the northern part of France. This surname is also very common among African Americans. It is also found in Haiti (where it is rare), while the form Du Plessis is established in South Africa. Compare Duplisea and Duplissey. History: This surname was first brought to North America as a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name. One of its bearers was François Sirois dit Duplessis from France (see Sirois). — The South African bearers of the surname Du Plessis trace their origin to Jean Prieur du Plessis, a French Huguenot who arrived in the Dutch Cape Colony via the Netherlands in 1688. He is recognized as a French Huguenot ancestor by the Huguenot Society of South Africa. Some characteristic forenames: French Antoine, Jacques, Alphonse, Francois, Valere, Andre, Armand, Camille, Colombe, Emile, Eugenie, Jean Louis.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Duplessis in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Duplessis has increased in popularity within the United States over a decade. In 2000, the surname was ranked 10,969th in terms of prevalence and this increased to 10,536th by 2010, demonstrating a 3.95% rise in rank. The number of people with the Duplessis name also grew from 2,662 to 3,044 during this period, marking a significant 14.35% increase. The proportion of the Duplessis surname per 100,000 people similarly raised from 0.99 to 1.03, indicating a 4.04% growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,969 | #10,536 | 3.95% |
| Count | 2,662 | 3,044 | 14.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.99 | 1.03 | 4.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Duplessis
On examining the ethnic identity associated with the Duplessis surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, it is observed that there have been notable changes between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of those carrying the Duplessis surname identified as White (57.00%) or Black (36.14%), there was a 74.68% rise in the number of individuals identifying as Hispanic. Despite this, there were declines in the numbers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native by 26.42%, 42.40%, and 23.21% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.64% | 57% | -2.8% |
| Black | 34.52% | 36.14% | 4.69% |
| Hispanic | 2.33% | 4.07% | 74.68% |
| Two or More Races | 3.42% | 1.97% | -42.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.43% | -23.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.39% | -26.42% |