Explore the Family Name Senecal
The meaning of Senecal
French (Sénécal): status name for a seneschal, an official in a large household who was responsible for overseeing day-to-day domestic arrangements, from Old French seneschal (of ancient Germanic origin, composed of the elements sini ‘old’ + scalc ‘servant’). The seneschal of a royal or ducal household in the Middle Ages was a very powerful man indeed, often having control over the administration of justice, among other things. In some cases the surname may have originated as nickname for an officious man. Compare Senegal 2. History: Adrien Sénécal/Senécal dit Laframboise from Bénouville in Seine-Maritime, France, married Jeanne Lecomte in Harfleur, Seine-Maritime in 1666, died in Varennes, QC, in 1688. Jean Senécal from Paluel in Seine-Maritime, France, married Catherine Desenne/De Seine in Montreal, QC, in 1672. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Adrien, Gilles, Jacques, Edmour, Elzear, Emile, Fernand, Gabrielle, Germain, Jean-Claude, Philippe.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Senecal in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Senecal saw a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. Ranked 11,553rd in 2000, it fell to 12,101st by 2010, marking a decrease of 4.74%. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased marginally over the same period, from 2,496 to 2,575, an increase of 3.17%. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Senecal per 100,000 dropped by 6.45% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,553 | #12,101 | -4.74% |
| Count | 2,496 | 2,575 | 3.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.93 | 0.87 | -6.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Senecal
As for its ethnic identity distribution, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Senecal identified as white in both 2000 and 2010, with a slight decrease of 0.70% over the decade. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native grew by 28.13% and 30.00% respectively, while those identifying as Black and Hispanic also saw increases of 18.24% and 24.42%. Conversely, there was a 19.57% decrease in individuals claiming two or more races within this surname group.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.71% | 93.05% | -0.7% |
| Hispanic | 1.72% | 2.14% | 24.42% |
| Black | 1.48% | 1.75% | 18.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.84% | 1.48% | -19.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.64% | 0.82% | 28.13% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.78% | 30% |