French Ancestry in United States
French Americans are Americans who have full or partial French ancestry. People of French ancestry form an important group in several countries in North and South America. In the United States census of 2020, 8 million people self-identified as being fully or partly of French ancestry. This also includes French-Canadian Americans, whose experience and identity differ from the broader community.
According to the United States Ancestry Census 2020, there were 7,376,649 (2.24%) people of French Ancestry and 1,998,094 (0.61%) people of French-Canadian Ancestry in the U.S.
Census 2021 Estaimets
| French Americans | Population | % of Total |
| French alone and in any combination | 8,053,902* | 2.40% |
| French alone | 2,211,954 | 0.70% |
*including French Canadians
Top US State by French Population
The state with the largest proportion of people identifying as having French ancestry is California (724,978) followed by Louisiana (634,813), Massachusetts (629,955), Texas (576,206), and Florida (539,964).
Percentage-wise top US states with French Ancestry are Maine (21.07%), New Hampshire (20.67%), Vermont (18.44%), Louisiana (13.61%), and Rhode Island (13.42%).
List of States by French ( French + French Canadian) Ancestry Population
| States | Estimates 2020 | Percentage |
| Alabama | 76,588 | 1.57% |
| Alaska | 21,775 | 2.95% |
| Arizona | 180,576 | 2.52% |
| Arkansas | 52,919 | 1.76% |
| California | 724,978 | 1.84% |
| Colorado | 171,168 | 3.01% |
| Connecticut | 252,050 | 7.06% |
| Delaware | 16,959 | 1.75% |
| District of Columbia | 13,508 | 1.92% |
| Florida | 539,964 | 2.54% |
| Georgia | 161,358 | 1.53% |
| Hawaii | 21,941 | 1.55% |
| Idaho | 48,917 | 2.79% |
| Illinois | 244,568 | 1.92% |
| Indiana | 148,710 | 2.22% |
| Iowa | 64,317 | 2.04% |
| Kansas | 75,917 | 2.61% |
| Kentucky | 75,347 | 1.69% |
| Louisiana | 634,813 | 13.61% |
| Maine | 282,573 | 21.07% |
| Maryland | 103,775 | 1.72% |
| Massachusetts | 629,955 | 9.17% |
| Michigan | 515,159 | 5.17% |
| Minnesota | 227,673 | 4.07% |
| Mississippi | 70,883 | 2.38% |
| Missouri | 175,297 | 2.86% |
| Montana | 42,366 | 3.99% |
| Nebraska | 44,028 | 2.29% |
| Nevada | 69,106 | 2.28% |
| New Hampshire | 280,085 | 20.67% |
| New Jersey | 116,723 | 1.31% |
| New Mexico | 36,990 | 1.76% |
| New York | 493,006 | 2.53% |
| North Carolina | 192,786 | 1.86% |
| North Dakota | 31,836 | 4.19% |
| Ohio | 253,879 | 2.17% |
| Oklahoma | 77,117 | 1.95% |
| Oregon | 145,190 | 3.48% |
| Pennsylvania | 219,225 | 1.71% |
| Rhode Island | 141,956 | 13.42% |
| South Carolina | 99,843 | 1.96% |
| South Dakota | 23,226 | 2.64% |
| Tennessee | 119,164 | 1.76% |
| Texas | 576,206 | 2.01% |
| Utah | 64,424 | 2.04% |
| Vermont | 115,147 | 18.44% |
| Virginia | 173,508 | 2.04% |
| Washington | 261,315 | 3.48% |
| West Virginia | 26,532 | 1.47% |
| Wisconsin | 219,835 | 3.79% |
| Wyoming | 17,807 | 3.06% |
Top U.S Cities by French population
Boston Metro area with 316,563 people of French ancestry, has the largest population of French Americans. It’s followed by New York (191,460) and the Providence metro area (191,460).
Top Metro Areas by French Population
| # | Metro Area | Estimated Population | % of Total |
| 1 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 316,563 | 6.46% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 191,460 | 0.97% |
| 3 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 191,460 | 11.39% |
| 4 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 164,133 | 3.76% |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 156,486 | 1.20% |
| 6 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 142,662 | 11.31% |
| 7 | Worcester, MA-CT | 138,816 | 14.19% |
| 8 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 136,722 | 1.90% |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 130,926 | 3.55% |
| 10 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 130,276 | 1.37% |
| 11 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 127,367 | 1.64% |
| 12 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 111,057 | 2.77% |
| 13 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 106,694 | 1.68% |
| 14 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 102,929 | 2.08% |
| 15 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 97,041 | 8.01% |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 88,708 | 1.44% |
| 17 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 85,565 | 1.40% |
| 18 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 84,987 | 1.84% |
| 19 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 80,533 | 2.87% |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 79,600 | 1.28% |
Source: US Census
French Ancestry in Americas
People of French ancestry form an important group in several countries in North and South America. Other American countries with significant numbers of people with French ancestry include Canada, whose territories were partly colonized by France between the 17th and 19th centuries, as well as Argentina and Uruguay.
French Ancestry also forms an important Group in Canada (4.6 million), Argentina (6 million), Brazil (2 million), Uruguay (300,000), and Chile (500,000)
Let’s have a look at countries that have significant French ancestry
| Country | Population Estimates | % of country |
| United States | 9,400,000 | 2.85% |
| Canada | 4,670,595 | 13.55% |
| Argentina | 6,000,000 | 17% |
| Brazil | 2,000,000 | 1% |
| Chile | 500,000 | 3% |
| Uruguay | 300,000 | 10% |
| Peru | 255,000 | 0.80% |
| Mexico | 30,000 | 0.02% |
French Canadians
French ancestry accounts for about 13.55% of the total population of Canada and they are the third largest ancestry group in Canada after English and Scottish ancestry. According to the Canadian Census 2020, there were 4,670,595 (4.6 million) people of French descent in Canada.
read more about French Ancestry in Canada
French Argentines
French Argentines are Argentines who have full or partial French ancestry. French ancestry accounts for about 17% of the total population of Argentina and French Argentines form one of the largest ancestry groups after Italian Argentines and Spanish Argentines.
According to the 2006 Estimates, there were around 6 million Argentines of French ancestry, making 17% of the total population.
French Argentines are most numerous in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Córdoba, Mendoza and Tucumán provinces. According to the national census of 1895, 37.3% of Frenchmen settled in Argentina lived in the province of Buenos Aires, 35.2% in the city of Buenos Aires, 10.9% in Santa Fe, and 5.1% in Entre Ríos.
In the Buenos Aires province, they mostly settled south of a line uniting the partidos of Tandil and Azul, their presence being particularly noticeable in the town of Pigüé.
As of 2010, almost 15,000 French citizens are living in Argentina, the community may be higher though.
French Brazilians
French Brazilians are Brazilians who have full or partial French ancestry. French ancestry accounts for about 1% of the total population of Brazil. According to the 2013 Estimates, there were around 2 million Brazilians of French ancestry.
Between 1850 and 1965 around 100,000 French people immigrated to Brazil. The country received the second largest number of French immigrants to South America after Argentina (239,000). Regions with significant French populations are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, São Luís, Fortaleza, Parnaíba and Recife .
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