Explore the Family Name Gareau
The meaning of Gareau
French: 1. variant of Garaud, from the ancient Germanic personal name Garwald, composed of the elements gari (from garwa) ‘ready, eager’ or gari ‘spear’ and wald ‘power, authority’. 2. variant of Garel. Compare Garreau and Garrow. History: Jean Gareau dit Saint-Onge from La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime, France, married Anne Talbot in Boucherville, QC, in 1670. Pierre Gareau from La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime, France, married Barbe (de) Montreau in Boucherville, QC, in 1684. René Gareau from Vay in Loire-Atlantique, Brittany (France), married Marie-Anne Rivière in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, in 1759. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Armand, Emile, Gaston, Germain, Laurent, Monique, Raoul.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gareau in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Gareau has seen a significant decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Gareau ranked 38,320 in terms of popularity but fell to 45,569 by 2010, marking a decrease of approximately 18.92%. The count of individuals with this surname also dropped from 543 in 2000 to 469 in 2010, a reduction of about 13.63%. Consequently, the proportion of Gareau per 100,000 people decreased by 20%, from 0.2 in 2000 to 0.16 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,320 | #45,569 | -18.92% |
| Count | 543 | 469 | -13.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.16 | -20% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gareau
With regard to ethnicity, the majority of individuals with the surname Gareau identified as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, about 97.61% of the Gareaus were White, a percentage that slightly increased to 97.87% by 2010. Other ethnic identities like Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, or those identifying with two or more races had no representation among the Gareaus during these years. However, there was a small emergence of Hispanic representation in 2010, accounting for 1.28% of the Gareaus, which did not exist in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.61% | 97.87% | 0.27% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.28% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |