Explore the Family Name Lesperance
The meaning of Lesperance
1. French (Lespérance and, especially in Canada, L’Espérance): from l’espérance ‘(the) hope’, used as a soldier’s name and perhaps also as a nickname for an optimist, or ironically, a pessimist. This surname is rare in France. Compare Hope 3. 2. Haitian, Seychellois, and Mauritian (Lespérance): from the male personal name or nickname Lespérance or L’Espérance, which has the same meaning as 1 above. Compare Esperance. History: In North America, the surname in 1 above was originally a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Pierre, Armand, Edouard, Fernand, Francois, Gaston, Gilles, Jeannot, Laurette, Marie Therese, Maxime.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lesperance in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lesperance saw only a slight decline in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 10,790 to 11,076. This suggests that while other surnames may have increased in frequency during this period, the number of individuals with the last name Lesperance also increased by about 5.67%, from 2,714 to 2,868. However, the proportion of people named Lesperance per 100,000 declined slightly by -3.96%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,790 | #11,076 | -2.65% |
| Count | 2,714 | 2,868 | 5.67% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.01 | 0.97 | -3.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lesperance
In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the Lesperance surname showed a diverse background. The largest ethnic identity associated with the surname is White, but it decreased from 81.61% in 2000 to 77.62% in 2010. There were significant increases in those who identify as Black and Hispanic, showing changes of 37.20% and 22.80% respectively. There was also more than a hundred percent increase in those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, from 0.33% to 0.70%. On the other hand, the percentage of people identifying as two or more races decreased significantly by -48.89%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population experienced an increase of 22.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.61% | 77.62% | -4.89% |
| Black | 7.85% | 10.77% | 37.2% |
| Hispanic | 6.93% | 8.51% | 22.8% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.03% | 1.26% | 22.33% |
| Two or More Races | 2.25% | 1.15% | -48.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.7% | 112.12% |