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

Decorah, 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 Decorah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Decorah in America

Decorah is the 63873rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Decorah surname appeared 312 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 Decorah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Decorah 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 Decorah

The surname Decorah originated in the Czech Republic in the early 14th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "decor", meaning "honor" or "glory". The name was likely initially given to someone who was held in high esteem or had achieved some level of distinction.

Decorah can be traced back to the village of Decor, located in the present-day South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. The earliest known record of the name appears in a land registry document from 1327, which mentions a local landowner named Jakub Decorah.

During the Middle Ages, the Decorah family was well-established in the region, with several members holding positions of influence within the local nobility. One notable figure was Jan Decorah (1435-1498), a knight who served under King George of Podebrady and was renowned for his military prowess.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to Decorah, likely due to the influence of the German language in the region. This spelling variation can be found in several historical documents from that period, including the baptismal records of the Church of St. Wenceslas in Prague, which mentions the birth of a child named Tomas Decorah in 1572.

As the Decorah family dispersed throughout Europe in the following centuries, the name also appeared in various other countries. In the late 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was recorded as "Decorah" in the municipal archives of Amsterdam.

One notable individual with the Decorah surname was Johanna Decorah (1612-1678), a Dutch artist renowned for her still-life paintings. Her works can be found in several prestigious collections, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Another prominent figure was Maximilian Decorah (1789-1865), a German philosopher and writer who was a prominent figure in the Romantic movement. He is best known for his philosophical treatise "On the Nature of Beauty", published in 1821.

As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world. In the late 19th century, a family bearing the Decorah surname immigrated to the United States, where they settled in the town of Decorah, Iowa, which was subsequently named after them.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Decorah

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

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

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

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