2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Decocq
French surname meaning "the rooster" in French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Decocq. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Decocq 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Decocq in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Decocq, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Decocq
The surname DECOCQ originated in France, first appearing in records from the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cocq", meaning "rooster" or "cock". The prefix "de" suggests the name may have originated as a locational surname, referring to a place associated with roosters or poultry farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DECOCQ can be found in the parish records of Picardy, a historical region in northern France, dating back to the late 1500s. The name was particularly prevalent in the towns and villages surrounding Amiens, the capital of Picardy.
In the 17th century, the DECOCQ name appeared in several French legal documents and contracts, indicating their involvement in various trades and professions. Notable individuals from this period include Jacques DECOCQ, a merchant from Abbeville, born in 1612, and Marie DECOCQ, a landowner from Corbie, born in 1637.
During the 18th century, the DECOCQ family spread across different regions of France, with some members settling in Paris and Normandy. Pierre DECOCQ, a renowned artist born in Rouen in 1762, gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture.
The 19th century saw the DECOCQ name continue to flourish, with several notable figures emerging. Émile DECOCQ (1832-1901) was a respected lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the French National Assembly. Another prominent DECOCQ was Jules DECOCQ (1848-1923), a renowned architect who designed several public buildings in Paris and other cities.
Other notable individuals bearing the DECOCQ surname include André DECOCQ (1901-1987), a French resistance fighter during World War II, and Jacques DECOCQ (1923-2008), a celebrated author and journalist who covered major events like the Algerian War and the student protests of 1968.
While the DECOCQ name has its roots in northern France, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with families carrying on the legacy of this surname through various professions and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Decocq
Among Census respondents with the surname Decocq, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Decocq 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 Decocq surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Decocq
Decocq 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-9 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,193 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 18,193 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 6,941 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 Decocq 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 | #150,452 | #143,511 | 4.6% |
| Count | 109 | 118 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Decocq bearers went from 109 to 118 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 6,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #143,511.
FAQ
Decocq surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Decocq?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Decocq. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Decocq?
Decocq ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Decocq. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Decocq.
Has Decocq become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Decocq went from 109 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Decocq?
Among Census respondents with the surname Decocq, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Decocq in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Decocq appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Decocq (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 Decocq mean?
French surname meaning "the rooster" in French. 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 Decocq (0.04 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 are called Decocq?
See how many people have the surname Decocq on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.