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

Dec, 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 Dec surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dec in America

Dec is the 25295th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dec surname appeared 979 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 Dec.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dec 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 Dec

The surname DEC is believed to have originated in Poland, where it is thought to have derived from the Polish word "dec" meaning "breath" or "breeze." The earliest records of the name date back to the 16th century, with references found in historical documents from the region.

One of the earliest known bearers of the DEC surname was Jan DEC, a Polish nobleman who lived in the late 1500s. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Sigismund III Vasa and played a significant role in the Polish-Swedish war of the early 17th century.

In the 17th century, the DEC name also appears in various records from the town of Krakow, where it is believed that a branch of the family had settled. One notable individual from this time was Tomasz DEC (1620-1689), a respected scholar and professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University.

As the DEC family spread throughout Poland, variations in the spelling of the name began to emerge, with forms such as "Dets" and "Detz" appearing in some historical documents. This was likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.

The DEC surname eventually made its way beyond Poland's borders, with records indicating that members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe, including Germany and Russia. One notable figure from this period was Mikhail DEC (1748-1823), a Russian military officer who served under Catherine the Great and played a significant role in the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792.

Another prominent individual bearing the DEC surname was Stanisław DEC (1876-1939), a Polish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Poland in the 1920s. He played a crucial role in shaping Poland's foreign policy during the interwar period.

While the DEC name may not be as widespread today as some other surnames, it has a rich history that spans centuries and crosses borders, reflecting the movement and influence of those who carried this distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dec

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

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

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

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