Explore the Family Name Levesque
The meaning of Levesque
French: from Old French évesque ‘bishop’ (from Latin episcopus; see Bishop), with fused definite article l’, hence an occupational name for a member of a bishop’s household, or an ironic nickname for a solemn person. Compare Laveck, Leveck, and Leveque. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Normand, Armand, Lucien, Marcel, Rosaire, Emile, Gilles, Pierre, Jacques, Adrien, Raoul.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Levesque in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Levesque" slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Levesque ranked as the 2982nd most popular surname, but it fell to the 3146th position in 2010, showing a 5.5% drop in rank. However, the overall count of individuals bearing the surname rose by 3.41% over that decade, from 11,111 in 2000 to 11,490 in 2010. Despite the increase in number, the proportion per 100k people of surnamed Levesques dropped by 5.34%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,982 | #3,146 | -5.5% |
| Count | 11,111 | 11,490 | 3.41% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.12 | 3.9 | -5.34% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Levesque
Moving onto ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates a diverse ethnic identity associated with the surname Levesque between 2000 and 2010. A significant majority identified as White, although this percentage did decrease slightly from 95.95% to 94.41%. There was an increase across all other reported ethnicities. The Hispanic representation saw a notable rise, increasing by 60.15%, while the Asian/Pacific Islander category also grew by 34.09%. The Two or More Races category increased by 27.35%, and those identifying as Black rose by 10.39%. Finally, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a surge of 57.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.95% | 94.41% | -1.6% |
| Hispanic | 1.33% | 2.13% | 60.15% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 1.49% | 27.35% |
| Black | 0.77% | 0.85% | 10.39% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.59% | 34.09% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.52% | 57.58% |
Levesque ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Levesque is British & Irish, which comprises 38.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (35.7%) and Spanish & Portuguese (7.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.3% |
| French & German | 35.7% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 7.9% |
| Other | 18.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Levesque
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Levesque have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 73.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 72.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 72.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 72.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 72.00% |
What Levesque haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Levesque is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L51 and R-Z195, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gagnon, Boudreaux, Whitcomb, Landry, Mcshane, Mattingly, Coffin, Meador, Fortin, Boudreau.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Levesque surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Levesque have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Levesque" Surname 38.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Levesque" Surname 32.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Levesque" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Levesque" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Levesque?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Levesque are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition