Explore the Family Name St. Hilaire

The meaning of St. Hilaire

1. French (mainly southwestern; Saint-Hilaire): habitational name from any of several places in France called Saint-Hilaire (from the dedication of their churches to Saint Hilarius), or a nickname with the prefix Saint as an (ironic) attachment to the personal name or surname Hilaire. Compare Sainthilaire. 2. Haitian (also Saint-Hilaire): from Saint-Hilaire, a nickname, ornamental name, or personal name composed of the French prefix Saint and the personal name Hilaire, or perhaps a habitational name from a place in Haiti called Saint-Hilaire (compare 1 above). This surname is also found in the Dominican Republic, where it may (also) originate from France. Some characteristic forenames: French Fernand, Marcel, Andre, Armand, Donat, Lucien, Normand, Serge, Alexandrine, Alphonse, Anselme, Antoine.

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

How common is the last name St. Hilaire in the United States?

In terms of popularity, the surname St. Hilaire has shown a significant increase, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the surname was ranked 12,084th in the United States, but by 2010 it had climbed to 11,172nd, showing a positive change of 7.55%. Likewise, the count of people with the St. Hilaire surname increased from 2,369 in 2000 to 2,831 in 2010, reflecting an impressive growth rate of 19.5%. The proportion per 100,000 also grew during this period, rising from 0.88 to 0.96, which denotes an increase of 9.09%.

20002010Change
Rank#12,084#11,1727.55%
Count2,3692,83119.5%
Proportion per 100k0.880.969.09%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name St. Hilaire

If we delve into ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data paints an interesting picture for the surname St. Hilaire. While there were no recorded instances of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals possessing the surname, other ethnic identities saw shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the proportion of White individuals with this surname dropped from 71.08% to 63.09%, there was a notable rise among Black individuals, increasing from 23.85% to 31.23%. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races decreased, going from 2.62% to 1.80%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation among those with the St. Hilaire surname almost doubled, growing from 1.77% to 3.39%.

20002010Change
White71.08%63.09%-11.24%
Black23.85%31.23%30.94%
Hispanic1.77%3.39%91.53%
Two or More Races2.62%1.8%-31.3%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%