2000
#20,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,188
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Dearden
A locational surname derived from a place called Dearden in Lancashire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,498 Americans carry the last name Dearden. That puts it at #20,545 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 228,808 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dearden 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dearden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 228,808
Census rank
#20,545
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,306 bearers of the surname Dearden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20545th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearden, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dearden
The surname DEARDEN is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Deardengate in Yorkshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "deor," meaning deer, and "denu," meaning valley or wooded pasture.
DEARDEN is also closely related to the place name Dearden, which is a township in the parish of Whalley, Lancashire. Historical records suggest that the name was initially spelled as "Derdene" or "Derdyn" before evolving into its current form.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DEARDEN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where it appears as "de Derdene." This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.
Among the notable historical figures bearing the DEARDEN surname is John Dearden (1551-1628), an English Catholic martyr who was executed for his faith during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was Sir Ralph Assheton Dearden (1699-1772), a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Clitheroe from 1734 to 1768.
The name DEARDEN also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England. However, the specific entry is not mentioned, as the Domesday Book covers a vast array of information.
In the 17th century, Thomas Dearden (1608-1673) was a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Walton-on-the-Hill in Lancashire. He published several works, including "The Wonderfull Yeare 1644," which documented the events of the English Civil War.
Another notable figure was James Dearden (1839-1897), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the town of Bolton, Lancashire. He founded the Dearden Endowment, which provided educational opportunities for underprivileged children in the area.
The DEARDEN surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Dearden Bridge, Dearden Clough, and Dearden Fold, all located in the Lancashire region. These place names further reinforce the locational origins of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dearden
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearden, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dearden 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 Dearden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,197
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 45
- Two or more races3.4% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 11
- Black or African American0.7% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dearden
Dearden 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
#26,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 929
-259 bearers (-21.8%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 5,589 places
2020
#20,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,306
+377 bearers (+40.6%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 5,737 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,693 | 1,188 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,282 | 929 | 0.31 | -259 bearers (-21.8%) | Down 5,589 places |
| 2020 | #20,545 | 1,306 | 0.44 | +377 bearers (+40.6%) | Up 5,737 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 Dearden 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 | #26,282 | #20,545 | 21.8% |
| Count | 929 | 1,306 | 40.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.44 | 40.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dearden bearers went from 929 to 1,306 (+40.6% change). The surname moved up 5,737 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,282 to #20,545.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dearden
FAQ
Dearden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dearden?
Name Census estimates that about 1,498 living Americans carry the surname Dearden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 228,808 residents.
How common is Dearden?
Dearden ranks #20,545 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,306 people with the surname Dearden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Dearden.
Has Dearden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dearden went from 929 recorded bearers to 1,306. That is an increase of 377 (+40.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,282 to #20,545.
What does the Census say about the background of Dearden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearden, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Dearden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,197 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dearden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Dearden (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 Dearden mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Dearden in Lancashire, England. 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 Dearden (0.44 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 have the last name Dearden?
You can see how common the surname Dearden is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.