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Belleau Family History

Belleau Surname Meaning

French:: habitational name from Belleau principally the name of a place in Meurthe-et-Moselle, which is recorded as early as 1047 as Bella Aqua (‘lovely water’) in Latin. It may also have been the name of unidentified or lost hamlets elsewhere in France (compare Bellew).

Belleau in Aisne is a further possible source but this placename recorded as Balliolum in 1231 has a different origin and it is not known if it gave rise to a surname or whether its re-formation as Belleau (a piece of folk etymology) took place early enough to affect the pronunciation of any such surname.

Nickname from Old French beu, bel ‘beautiful’ (see Bel) + the diminutive suffix -eau. Compare Ballou.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Belleau family from?

You can see how Belleau families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Belleau family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Belleau families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 7 Belleau families living in Nottinghamshire. This was about 88% of all the recorded Belleau's in United Kingdom. Nottinghamshire had the highest population of Belleau families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Belleau surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Belleau ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Belleau. 40% of Belleau men worked as a Laborer and 25% of Belleau women worked as a School Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Belleau were Mechanic and Housework.

View Census Data for Belleau | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    40%
  • Salesman
    20%
  • Pressman
    14%
  • Mechanic
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • School Teacher
    25%
  • Saleslady
    25%
  • Seamstress
    25%
  • Housework
    25%

What Belleau family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Belleau. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Belleau census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Belleau

Passenger Lists

There are 714 immigration records available for the last name Belleau. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Belleau immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Belleau. For the veterans among your Belleau ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Belleau military records

You've only scratched the surface of Belleau family history

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What is the average Belleau lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Belleau life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Belleau in 1957 was 37, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Belleau

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Belleau ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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