2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dearry
An unusual anglicized variant of the Irish surname Derry or Ó Deara, meaning "descendant of Deara".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Dearry. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dearry 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Dearry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearry, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dearry
The surname Dearry is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "deor," meaning "deer," and "ry" or "rigg," referring to a ridge or hill. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a deer ridge or a place where deer were found in abundance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dearry can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a Thomas Derry is mentioned. This spelling variation was common during that time, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Burnley, Lancashire, where a John Dearry was recorded in 1585. Around the same time, in 1598, a Thomas Dearry is mentioned in the Parish Registers of Wigan, also in Lancashire.
During the 17th century, the Dearry surname gained some prominence with the birth of John Dearry (1630-1705), a notable English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Gedney in Lincolnshire. His works include "A Discourse on Practical Religion" and "A Treatise on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper."
Another notable figure was William Dearry (1757-1832), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Seaford in Sussex from 1806 to 1807. He was also a barrister and a prominent figure in the legal profession of his time.
In the 19th century, the name Dearry remained prevalent in parts of northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. One notable individual was James Dearry (1819-1891), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur from Rochdale, Lancashire, who made significant contributions to the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.
While the Dearry surname may have had humble beginnings, it has left its mark on various aspects of British history, from religious writings to political and industrial achievements. Despite its relatively rare occurrence, the name continues to carry the echoes of its ancient English roots and the connection to the natural world that it once evoked.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dearry
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearry, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dearry 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 Dearry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.2% · 75
- Black or African American27.0% · 31
- Two or more races7.8% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dearry
Dearry 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+23 bearers (+20.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 10,555 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-22 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,475 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 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +23 bearers (+20.2%) | Up 10,555 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 20,475 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 Dearry 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 | #125,282 | #145,757 | -16.3% |
| Count | 137 | 115 | -16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dearry bearers went from 137 to 115 (-16.1% change). The surname moved down 20,475 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #145,757.
FAQ
Dearry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dearry?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Dearry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Dearry?
Dearry ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Dearry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Dearry.
Has Dearry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dearry went from 137 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 22 (-16.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Dearry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dearry, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (7.8%). 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 Dearry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.2% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dearry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.2%), Black (27.0%), Two or More Races (7.8%). 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 Dearry (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 Dearry mean?
An unusual anglicized variant of the Irish surname Derry or Ó Deara, meaning "descendant of Deara". 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 Dearry (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 common is the surname Dearry?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Dearry at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.