2000
#14,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,911
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Deckert
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of blankets or thick woolen cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,088 Americans carry the last name Deckert. That puts it at #15,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deckert 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
2.1K
1 in 164,154
Census rank
#15,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,821 bearers of the surname Deckert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deckert
The surname Deckert is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages, likely around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the German words "Decker" or "Decken," which refer to a roofer or thatcher. It is believed that the name was originally an occupational surname given to individuals who worked as roofers or thatchers, crafting and repairing roofs with various materials such as straw, reed, or wood shingles.
The earliest known records of the Deckert surname can be found in various German regions, particularly in areas such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. The name appeared in various spellings, including Decker, Decker, Deckert, and Deckhart, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
One of the earliest documented references to the Deckert name can be found in the Thuringian town of Erfurt, where a certain Hans Deckert was recorded in the city's tax records in the late 15th century. Another notable early reference is the mention of a Jobst Deckert, a master thatcher from Nuremberg, who was recognized for his exceptional craftsmanship in the 16th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Deckert surname. One of the earliest was Johann Deckert (c. 1505-1572), a German theologian and reformer from Saxony, who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Bernhard Deckert (1736-1805), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
In the 19th century, Carl Deckert (1818-1865) was a German geographer and cartographer, known for his detailed maps and atlases. Similarly, Emil Deckert (1848-1916) was a renowned German sculptor and medalist, whose works can be found in various museums and public spaces across Germany.
Another noteworthy Deckert was Max Deckert (1887-1973), a German actor and film director active during the early 20th century. He appeared in numerous films and directed several productions, contributing to the growth of the German film industry.
While the Deckert surname has its roots in German occupational traditions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the skilled roofing and thatching craftsmen of medieval Germany, whose legacy lives on in this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deckert
Among Census respondents with the surname Deckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Deckert 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 Deckert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,686
- Two or more races3.4% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deckert
Deckert appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,274
+363 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 966 places
2020
#15,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,821
-453 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 2,096 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,363 | 1,911 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,397 | 2,274 | 0.77 | +363 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 966 places |
| 2020 | #15,493 | 1,821 | 0.61 | -453 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 2,096 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 Deckert 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 | #13,397 | #15,493 | -15.6% |
| Count | 2,274 | 1,821 | -19.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.61 | -20.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deckert bearers went from 2,274 to 1,821 (-19.9% change). The surname moved down 2,096 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,397 to #15,493.
FAQ
Deckert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deckert?
Name Census estimates that about 2,088 living Americans carry the surname Deckert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,154 residents.
How common is Deckert?
Deckert ranks #15,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,821 people with the surname Deckert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,088), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Deckert.
Has Deckert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deckert went from 2,274 recorded bearers to 1,821. That is a decrease of 453 (-19.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,397 to #15,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Deckert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Deckert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deckert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Deckert (2000, 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 Deckert mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of blankets or thick woolen cloth. 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 Deckert (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Deckert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.