2000
#14,857
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,829
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Declue
An altered spelling of the surname De Clue, derived from the French place name Clue.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,107 Americans carry the last name Declue. That puts it at #15,375 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Declue 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 162,674
Census rank
#15,375
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,837 bearers of the surname Declue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15375th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Declue, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Declue
The surname DECLUE has its origins in France, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word "declu," which means "out of the loop" or "distant." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a remote or secluded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DECLUE can be found in the parish records of Normandy, where a family by this name resided in the village of Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf in the late 1500s. The name was also present in other regions of northern France, such as Picardy and Champagne, during this time period.
In the 17th century, the DECLUE name appeared in various legal documents and municipal records across France. For example, a Pierre DECLUE was listed as a landowner in the village of Montfort-l'Amaury near Paris in 1632. Another notable individual was Jean DECLUE, a merchant from Rouen who was involved in the textile trade with England in the late 1600s.
As the centuries progressed, the DECLUE surname spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the 18th century, a family by the name of DECLUE settled in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where they became successful traders and merchants. One member of this family, Willem DECLUE (1725-1802), was a prominent banker and philanthropist in the city.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the DECLUE surname made their mark in various fields. One such person was Émile DECLUE (1828-1901), a French artist and engraver who was known for his intricate etchings of landscapes and historical scenes. Another notable figure was Auguste DECLUE (1856-1923), a Belgian engineer who contributed significantly to the development of early automotive technologies.
The DECLUE name also found its way to North America, with some of the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 18th century. One notable individual was John DECLUE (1775-1842), an American farmer and militia captain who fought in the War of 1812. Another was Pierre DECLUE (1790-1865), a French-Canadian settler who established a successful trading post in what is now the state of Michigan.
As the 20th century approached, the DECLUE surname continued to be present in various parts of the world. One notable figure from this time period was Émile DECLUE (1885-1957), a French mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of electromagnetism. Another was Charles DECLUE (1901-1978), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the American West and Native American culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Declue
Among Census respondents with the surname Declue, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Declue 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 Declue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 1,605
- Two or more races5.2% · 96
- Black or African American3.6% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Declue
Declue 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
#15,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,922
+93 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 421 places
2020
#15,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,837
-85 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,857 | 1,829 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,278 | 1,922 | 0.65 | +93 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 421 places |
| 2020 | #15,375 | 1,837 | 0.61 | -85 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 97 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 Declue 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 | #15,278 | #15,375 | -0.6% |
| Count | 1,922 | 1,837 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.61 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Declue bearers went from 1,922 to 1,837 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,278 to #15,375.
FAQ
Declue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Declue?
Name Census estimates that about 2,107 living Americans carry the surname Declue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,674 residents.
How common is Declue?
Declue ranks #15,375 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 1,837 people with the surname Declue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,107), 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 Declue.
Has Declue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Declue went from 1,922 recorded bearers to 1,837. That is a decrease of 85 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,278 to #15,375.
What does the Census say about the background of Declue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Declue, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Declue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (1,605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Declue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Black (3.6%). 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 Declue (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 Declue mean?
An altered spelling of the surname De Clue, derived from the French place name Clue. 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 Declue (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 people share the surname Declue?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.