Find out how popular the last name Dearth is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dearth.

Dearth, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dearth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dearth in America

Dearth is the 12881st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dearth surname appeared 2,389 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dearth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dearth to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dearth

The surname Dearth is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dearth," which means scarcity or famine. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived during times of food shortage or famine.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dearth surname can be found in the parish records of Staffordshire, England, where a William Dearth was mentioned in 1583. Another early record dates back to 1612, when a Thomas Dearth was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire.

During the 17th century, the Dearth surname began to spread across various regions of England. In the early 1600s, a John Dearth was recorded in the Parish Registers of Wiltshire, while a Richard Dearth appeared in the Registers of Warwickshire around the same time period.

The Dearth name has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Dearth Farm in Staffordshire and Dearth Hall in Cheshire. These locations may have served as the ancestral homes of some Dearth families, potentially influencing the adoption of the surname.

One notable individual bearing the Dearth surname was Samuel Dearth (1670-1743), an English minister and author who served as the vicar of Tiverton in Devon. He published several works on religious subjects, including "The Reasonableness of Revealed Religion" and "The Principles of Deism Truly Represented and Set in a Clear Light."

Another prominent figure with the Dearth surname was John Dearth (1781-1846), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in several battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.

In the 19th century, the Dearth surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with families residing in counties such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was William Dearth (1819-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Manchester, who contributed significantly to the development of local schools and charitable institutions.

As the Dearth surname spread across the English-speaking world, it also gained a presence in other countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of the original Dearth families settled and established new roots.

Overall, the surname Dearth has a rich history that can be traced back to its Old English origins and is associated with various notable individuals who have contributed to various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dearth

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dearth.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dearth was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dearth has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dearth was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dearth, please contact us.

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