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

Death, 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 Death surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Death in America

Death is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Death surname appeared 138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Death.

We can also compare 2010 data for Death 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 Death

The surname "Death" is derived from the Middle English word "deeth", which means "death" or "dying". This name is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, sometime around the 13th or 14th century.

The name "Death" is thought to have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in professions related to death, such as undertakers, gravediggers, or even executioners. It may also have been a descriptive surname, referring to someone who had a pale or sickly appearance, or who had survived a near-death experience.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Death" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from 1327, where a person named John Death is mentioned. Another early example is from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, England, in 1379, which lists a Robert Death.

In the 15th century, the surname "Death" appeared in various forms, such as "Deth", "Dethe", and "Dethe". These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time period.

One notable person with the surname "Death" was Sir John Death, a member of the English gentry who lived in the early 16th century. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, and served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in 1553.

Another well-known individual with this surname was Thomas Death, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1612 to 1689. He was a prominent Puritan divine and wrote several religious works, including "The Mortification of Sin" and "The Deathbed of a Christian".

In the 18th century, a man named William Death gained recognition as a successful merchant and landowner in Middlesex, England. He was born in 1705 and died in 1783.

During the 19th century, a family of artists with the surname "Death" became notable in Germany. The most famous among them was Walter Death, a landscape painter born in 1841 in Hanover. His works were widely exhibited and appreciated during his lifetime.

Finally, in the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname "Death" was Robert Death, a British military officer and Victoria Cross recipient. He was born in 1899 and served in World War I, where he earned the highest military honor for his bravery and courage in battle.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Death

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

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 Death 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 Death 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 Death was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!