2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Damele
A surname of unknown origin and meaning, possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Damele. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Damele 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Damele in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Damele, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Damele
The surname DAMELE is believed to have originated in the French region of Normandy during the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "damele," which referred to a small landowner or lord of a manor. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely minor nobles or landowners in the Norman territories of northern France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DAMELE surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Amele, whose name is believed to be an early variant spelling of DAMELE.
During the 12th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Robert DAMELE, a knight who accompanied Richard the Lionheart on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land (1189-1192). Sir Robert's exploits during the crusade were documented in various contemporary chronicles and manuscripts.
In the 14th century, a prominent individual with the DAMELE surname was John DAMELE (c. 1320-1385), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the city of Rouen in Normandy. Records indicate that John DAMELE was a influential figure in the local community and served as a magistrate for several years.
Another historical figure of note was Thomas DAMELE (1455-1521), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Paris during the Renaissance era. Thomas DAMELE authored several treatises and commentaries on religious texts that were widely circulated throughout Europe.
In the 16th century, the DAMELE surname can be found in various records from the town of Saint-Lô in the Normandy region. One notable individual from this area was Guillaume DAMELE (1522-1587), a successful merchant and trader who established trade routes between Normandy and the English port cities.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the DAMELE surname emerged, including Damelle, Damele, and Damelie. These spelling variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local record keepers or scribes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Damele
Among Census respondents with the surname Damele, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Damele 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 Damele surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Damele
Damele 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,391 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,391 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 11,707 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 Damele 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 | #139,228 | #150,935 | -8.4% |
| Count | 120 | 108 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Damele bearers went from 120 to 108 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 11,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #150,935.
FAQ
Damele surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Damele?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Damele. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Damele?
Damele ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Damele. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Damele.
Has Damele become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Damele went from 120 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Damele?
Among Census respondents with the surname Damele, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Damele in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Damele appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Damele (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 Damele mean?
A surname of unknown origin and meaning, possibly derived from a place name. 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 Damele (0.04 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 Damele?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.