2000
#94,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Marleau
A French surname possibly derived from a place name or related to the French word "marler" meaning to sow or spread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 229 Americans carry the last name Marleau. That puts it at #97,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,496,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marleau 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
229
1 in 1,496,744
Census rank
#97,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
200
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 200 bearers of the surname Marleau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marleau
The surname Marleau originates from the French region of Normandy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "marle," meaning "marl" or a type of calcareous soil, and the suffix "-eau," indicating a diminutive or small body of water. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a small body of water on a marlstone or chalky soil.
One of the earliest documented references to the Marleau name can be found in the Domesday Book, a census record compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Marleawe," which is believed to be a variant spelling of the modern Marleau. This entry indicates that the name was already well-established in Normandy by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the Marleau family is recorded as having settled in the region of Poitou, located in western France. The name is found in various historical documents from this period, including land records and tax rolls. It is also believed that a branch of the family may have migrated to the neighboring region of Anjou during this time.
One notable individual bearing the Marleau surname was Jean Marleau, a French soldier and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. Born in 1560 in Poitou, he is known for his participation in several expeditions to the New World, including the ill-fated voyage of the Marquis de la Roche in 1598, which aimed to establish a French colony in the Americas.
Another prominent figure was Pierre Marleau, a French playwright and poet who lived in the 17th century. Born in 1620 in Anjou, he gained recognition for his works such as "Le Triomphe de l'Amour" (The Triumph of Love), which was performed at the court of Louis XIV in 1664.
In the 18th century, the Marleau name gained prominence in the field of medicine with the birth of Michel Marleau, a renowned physician and surgeon. Born in 1725 in Poitou, he made significant contributions to the study of infectious diseases and is credited with pioneering techniques in surgical procedures.
During the 19th century, the Marleau family continued to establish itself in various parts of France, with several members achieving notable positions in academia, politics, and the arts. One such individual was Émile Marleau, a respected historian and author who lived from 1820 to 1892. His extensive works on the history of Normandy and Poitou are still widely referenced today.
Throughout its long history, the Marleau surname has been associated with a diverse range of occupations and achievements, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of France and the enduring legacy of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marleau
Among Census respondents with the surname Marleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Marleau 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 Marleau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 180
- Two or more races5.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marleau
Marleau 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
#98,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
+4 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,306 places
2020
#97,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+17 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,623 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #94,676 | 179 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,982 | 183 | 0.06 | +4 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 4,306 places |
| 2020 | #97,359 | 200 | 0.07 | +17 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 1,623 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 Marleau 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 | #98,982 | #97,359 | 1.6% |
| Count | 183 | 200 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marleau bearers went from 183 to 200 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 1,623 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,982 to #97,359.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Marleau
FAQ
Marleau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marleau?
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the surname Marleau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,496,744 residents.
How common is Marleau?
Marleau ranks #97,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 200 people with the surname Marleau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Marleau.
Has Marleau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marleau went from 183 recorded bearers to 200. That is an increase of 17 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,982 to #97,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Marleau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Marleau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marleau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Marleau (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 Marleau mean?
A French surname possibly derived from a place name or related to the French word "marler" meaning to sow or spread. 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 Marleau (0.07 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 are called Marleau?
See how many people are called Marleau on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.