2000
#8,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,487
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Dearman
An English surname derived from the Old English words "deore," meaning beloved, and "mann," meaning man or person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,829 Americans carry the last name Dearman. That puts it at #9,354 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,515 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dearman 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 Dearman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,515
Census rank
#9,354
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,339 bearers of the surname Dearman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9354th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearman, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dearman
The surname Dearman is of English origin, deriving from the medieval given name "Dereman." This name was a combination of the Old English elements "deor," meaning "beloved" or "precious," and "man," meaning "person." It is believed to have originated in the county of Somerset in the south-west of England during the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a person named Radulfus Derman is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during this period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
The Dearman name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Derman is listed. These historical records provide valuable insights into the early distribution and prevalence of the surname in different regions of England.
In the 16th century, the name is found in the parish records of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where a Thomas Dearman was recorded in 1543. This spelling variation, closer to the modern form, suggests the gradual standardization of the name over time.
One notable bearer of the Dearman surname was John Dearman, a prominent Puritan minister born in 1564 in Brinsworth, Yorkshire. He served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham and was known for his staunch religious beliefs and writings.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Dearman, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Hull during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He played a crucial role in the economic and civic affairs of the town, serving as its mayor in 1619.
In the literary realm, John Dearman (1731-1809) was an English poet and playwright from Northamptonshire. He is best known for his pastoral poem "The Coquet," which was widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
The Dearman family also had a presence in the military, with Captain William Dearman (1812-1879) serving in the British Army during the Crimean War. He was awarded the Crimea Medal for his valiant service in the conflict.
Lastly, Sir John Dearman (1875-1948) was a prominent British businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in the early 20th century. He was knighted for his contributions to the nation's economy and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dearman
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearman, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dearman 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 Dearman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 2,728
- Black or African American6.5% · 217
- Two or more races4.9% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 144
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dearman
Dearman 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
#8,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,030
+543 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 449 places
2020
#9,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,339
-691 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 1,124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,679 | 3,487 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,230 | 4,030 | 1.37 | +543 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 449 places |
| 2020 | #9,354 | 3,339 | 1.12 | -691 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 1,124 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 Dearman 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 | #8,230 | #9,354 | -13.7% |
| Count | 4,030 | 3,339 | -17.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.12 | -18.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dearman bearers went from 4,030 to 3,339 (-17.1% change). The surname moved down 1,124 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,230 to #9,354.
FAQ
Dearman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dearman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,829 living Americans carry the surname Dearman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,515 residents.
How common is Dearman?
Dearman ranks #9,354 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,339 people with the surname Dearman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,829), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dearman.
Has Dearman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dearman went from 4,030 recorded bearers to 3,339. That is a decrease of 691 (-17.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,230 to #9,354.
What does the Census say about the background of Dearman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearman, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Dearman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (2,728 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dearman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Dearman (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 Dearman mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English words "deore," meaning beloved, and "mann," meaning man or person. 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 Dearman (1.12 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 Americans have the surname Dearman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.