White Americans make up 57.1% of Louisiana’s population according to the official 2020 census.[3] White Americans are the largest ethnic group in Louisiana. Many are of French and Cajun ancestry. Germans also settled in New Orleans and Louisiana.[4] Many whites are also of British and Irish ancestry in Louisiana. Irish, Germans, and Italians are more recent European immigrants in Louisiana.[5]
The first Europeans to explore Louisiana were the Spanish.[6] European explorers first encountered Louisiana in the 1500s and 1600s. Europeans didn’t start settling the land until the 1700s. The earliest known explorers in Louisiana were Alonso Alverez de Piñeda in 1519 and Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1528, who possibly crossed present-day Louisiana or possibly floated by Louisiana's coastline. Moscoso de Alverdo of Hernando de Soto's crew sailed by the future site of New Orleans on his way to Mexico, although de Soto had died. The Frenchmen were the first Europeans to claim the land.[7]
