2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lecavalier
A French surname derived from the phrase "le chevalier," meaning "the knight" or "the horseman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 161 Americans carry the last name Lecavalier. That puts it at #127,742 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,128,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lecavalier surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
161
1 in 2,128,909
Census rank
#127,742
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
140
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 140 bearers of the surname Lecavalier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127742nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lecavalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lecavalier
The surname LECAVALIER has its origins in France, where it first appeared in the early 17th century. It is derived from the French words "le cavalier," which translates to "the horseman" or "the rider." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with horses, perhaps a knight, a cavalry soldier, or a horse breeder.
The name can be traced back to the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. In medieval times, these regions were known for their skilled horsemen and cavalry units, which may have contributed to the name's emergence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LECAVALIER can be found in the parish records of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, dating back to the 1620s. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Le Cavalier," "Lecavalier," and "Lecavallier," reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals bearing the LECAVALIER surname emerged. In 1652, Jean-Baptiste LECAVALIER, a renowned French painter, was born in Paris. He was known for his religious and mythological works, and his paintings can be found in various churches and museums across France.
Another prominent figure was Marie-Marguerite LECAVALIER, born in 1668 in Rouen, Normandy. She was a nun and the founder of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, a religious order dedicated to the education of young girls.
In the 18th century, Jacques LECAVALIER (1701-1784) was a French explorer and cartographer who accompanied expeditions to the Mississippi River region in North America. His detailed maps and journals provide valuable insights into the early exploration of the American continent.
The name LECAVALIER also found its way to Canada, where it was borne by several notable individuals. One example is Antoine LECAVALIER (1742-1823), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in the early 19th century.
Another Canadian figure was André LECAVALIER (1923-1986), a renowned filmmaker and screenwriter from Quebec. He was known for his contributions to the Québécois cinema movement and his critically acclaimed films, such as "L'Homme Rivière" (1973) and "Un Été de Jadis" (1975).
While these are just a few examples, the LECAVALIER surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, religious figures, explorers, politicians, and filmmakers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lecavalier
Among Census respondents with the surname Lecavalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lecavalier bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lecavalier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 3
- Two or more races2.1% · 3
- Black or African American1.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lecavalier
Lecavalier appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,445 places
2020
#127,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+27 bearers (+23.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 18,459 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 5,445 places |
| 2020 | #127,742 | 140 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+23.9%) | Up 18,459 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lecavalier surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #127,742 | 12.6% |
| Count | 113 | 140 | 23.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lecavalier bearers went from 113 to 140 (+23.9% change). The surname moved up 18,459 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #127,742.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lecavalier
FAQ
Lecavalier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lecavalier?
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the surname Lecavalier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,128,909 residents.
How common is Lecavalier?
Lecavalier ranks #127,742 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 140 people with the surname Lecavalier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (161), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lecavalier.
Has Lecavalier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lecavalier went from 113 recorded bearers to 140. That is an increase of 27 (+23.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #127,742.
What does the Census say about the background of Lecavalier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lecavalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lecavalier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (122 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lecavalier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (6.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lecavalier (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lecavalier mean?
A French surname derived from the phrase "le chevalier," meaning "the knight" or "the horseman." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lecavalier (0.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Lecavalier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.