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

Dechant, 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 Dechant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dechant in America

Dechant is the 16781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dechant surname appeared 1,702 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 Dechant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dechant 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 Dechant

The surname DECHANT has its origins in France, dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "dechant," which refers to a precentor or a person responsible for leading the choir in a church or cathedral.

The name is believed to have first emerged in the northern regions of France, particularly in areas around Paris and Normandy. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in parish records and tax rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as the Armorial Général de France, a collection of heraldic records compiled under the reign of King Louis XIV. One notable individual bearing the name during this time was Jean Dechant, a respected cleric and scholar who served as the Dean of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris from 1438 to 1458.

As the name spread across France, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Deschant, Dechamps, and Dechamps. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.

In the 16th century, the name Dechant can be found in records related to the French Protestant Reformation. One prominent figure was Pierre Dechant, a Huguenot minister and theologian born in Normandy in 1521, who played a significant role in the spread of Calvinist teachings in northern France.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Dechant became more widespread throughout France and began to appear in various parts of Europe, particularly in regions with strong French cultural influence, such as parts of Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland.

One notable bearer of the name was François-Michel Dechant, a French military officer and engineer who served under Louis XV. Born in 1701, he contributed to the fortification of several cities and participated in several campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession.

Another significant figure was Jean-Baptiste Dechant, a French composer and organist born in Alsace in 1756. He gained recognition for his sacred music compositions and served as the organist at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris from 1790 until his death in 1826.

In the 19th century, the name Dechant continued to be present in various regions of France, with individuals like Étienne Dechant, a prominent lawyer and political figure from Lyon, who played a role in the French Revolution and served as a deputy in the National Assembly from 1792 to 1795.

While the name has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and history remain firmly rooted in the medieval and early modern periods of French history, reflecting the name's connection to the ecclesiastical and intellectual traditions of that era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dechant

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

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

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

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