Find out how popular the last name DeCatur is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeCatur.
A place name originating from a location in France called Decatur.
DeCatur, 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 DeCatur surname is from the 2010 census data.
DeCatur is the 26949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The DeCatur surname appeared 900 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 DeCatur.
We can also compare 2010 data for DeCatur 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 26949 | 25926 | 3.87% |
Count | 900 | 890 | 1.12% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.31 | 0.33 | -6.25% |
The surname DECATUR has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "decateur," which means "to full cloth" or "to shear wool." This suggests that the name likely originated among families involved in the textile trade or wool industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DECATUR can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Catur," which is thought to be an anglicized version of the French surname.
The DECATUR family initially settled in the region of Normandy, France, before some members migrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Decatour, Decator, and the modern DECATUR.
A notable figure bearing the DECATUR surname was Stephen Decatur Sr. (1751-1808), a French-American naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Quasi-War with France. His son, Stephen Decatur Jr. (1779-1820), was a celebrated naval hero who achieved numerous victories during the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.
Another prominent individual was John Decatur (1746-1808), a French-American merchant and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.
In the 18th century, the DECATUR family established itself in the state of Maryland, where they became involved in shipping and maritime activities. One member, James Decatur (1723-1786), was a successful ship owner and merchant in Philadelphia.
The name DECATUR is also associated with several place names in the United States, such as Decatur, Illinois, and Decatur, Georgia, which were named after Stephen Decatur Jr. in honor of his naval exploits.
Throughout history, the surname DECATUR has been borne by numerous individuals, including John Decatur (1788-1862), a U.S. Navy officer who served in the War of 1812, and Edward Decatur (1784-1860), a prominent lawyer and politician from Massachusetts.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeCatur.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeCatur was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 76.56% | 689 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 19.56% | 176 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.56% | 5 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.89% | 8 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.67% | 15 |
Hispanic Origin | 0.78% | 7 |
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 DeCatur has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 76.56% | 79.44% | -3.69% |
Black | 19.56% | 16.85% | 14.89% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.56% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.89% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.67% | 1.91% | -13.41% |
Hispanic | 0.78% | 1.12% | -35.79% |
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 DeCatur was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/decatur-surname-popularity/">DeCatur last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"DeCatur last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 26, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/decatur-surname-popularity/.
"DeCatur last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/decatur-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 April, 2025
DeCatur last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/decatur-surname-popularity/.
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