2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Debaillie
A French surname derived from a feudal domain or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Debaillie. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Debaillie 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Debaillie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Debaillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Debaillie
The surname DEBAILLIE originated in France, specifically in the northern regions near the border with Belgium. The name likely dates back to the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old French words "de" meaning "of" or "from" and "baillie" which referred to a bailiff or administrative official.
DEBAILLIE is believed to have been an occupational surname given to someone who held the position of a bailiff or worked in a similar administrative role. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in various medieval records and documents from the region.
One of the earliest known bearers of the DEBAILLIE surname was Jean DEBAILLIE, a prominent landowner and official who lived in the village of Arras in the late 13th century. Historical records from the time mention his involvement in local disputes and negotiations.
In the 14th century, the DEBAILLIE name can be found in the registries of several abbeys and monasteries in northern France, indicating that members of the family may have served in religious orders or held positions within the church.
During the 15th century, a branch of the DEBAILLIE family settled in the town of Lille, which was then part of the Burgundian Netherlands. Here, they established themselves as merchants and traders, with records showing their participation in local guilds and commercial activities.
Notable individuals with the DEBAILLIE surname include:
1. Jacques DEBAILLIE (1560-1638), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Lille, who is credited with introducing significant advancements in the design and construction of mechanical clocks.
2. Marie DEBAILLIE (1675-1742), a French poet and writer who gained recognition for her literary works and was a member of several literary societies in Paris.
3. Louis DEBAILLIE (1710-1785), a Flemish painter known for his portraits and religious works, many of which can be found in churches and museums across northern France and Belgium.
4. Pierre DEBAILLIE (1825-1895), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais de la Bourse and the Théâtre du Châtelet.
5. Émile DEBAILLIE (1876-1948), a Belgian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Belgian Parliament and was actively involved in the country's independence movement.
Throughout its history, the DEBAILLIE surname has undergone various spelling variations, including DEBAILLIE, DEBAILLIE, and DEBAILLIE, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and language changes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Debaillie
Among Census respondents with the surname Debaillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Debaillie 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 Debaillie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 99
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Debaillie
Debaillie appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 4,442 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 Debaillie 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 | #159,712 | #155,270 | 2.8% |
| Count | 101 | 101 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Debaillie bearers went from 101 to 101 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 4,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Debaillie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Debaillie?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Debaillie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Debaillie?
Debaillie ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Debaillie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Debaillie.
Has Debaillie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Debaillie went from 101 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Debaillie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Debaillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Debaillie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Debaillie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Debaillie (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 Debaillie mean?
A French surname derived from a feudal domain or place name. 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 Debaillie (0.03 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 Debaillie?
Want to know how many people have the last name Debaillie? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.