Explore the Family Name Rabalais

The meaning of Rabalais

French: variant of Rabelais, a habitational name from La Rabelais, the name of several places in the western part of France. Both surnames, Rabalais and Rabelais, are virtually non-existing in France. History: Jean-Baptiste Rabalais dit Matelot from Poitou, France, married Marguerite Bélanger in New Orleans, LA, in 1733. Some characteristic forenames: French Gaston, Andre, Camille, Eraste, Francois, Henri, Marceline, Michel, Pierre.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Rabalais has shown a marginal decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname dropped from 16694 to 17516, signifying a change of -4.92%. However, the count or occurrence of the surname saw a slight increase from 1578 to 1609 during this period, marking a change of 1.96%. In terms of proportion per 100k people, there was a decline of -5.17%, moving from 0.58 to 0.55.

20002010Change
Rank#16,694#17,516-4.92%
Count1,5781,6091.96%
Proportion per 100k0.580.55-5.17%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rabalais

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts for individuals carrying the Rabalais surname between 2000 and 2010. While the percentage of White and Asian/Pacific Islander individuals with the surname decreased (White by -1.61% and Asian/Pacific Islander to 0), the percentages of those identifying as Two or more races, Hispanic, and Black increased. The most notable increases were seen in the categories of Two or more races (rising by 153.13%), Hispanic (up by 119.51%), and Black (increasing by 117.46%). The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with the Rabalais surname dropped to zero in 2010.

20002010Change
White97.34%95.77%-1.61%
Hispanic0.82%1.8%119.51%
Black0.63%1.37%117.46%
Two or More Races0.32%0.81%153.13%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.44%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.44%0%0%