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

Dee, 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 Dee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dee in America

Dee is the 5535th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dee surname appeared 6,275 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dee 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 Dee

The surname DEE originated in England and is believed to have first appeared around the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "deeg," meaning "day worker" or someone who worked for daily wages. The name may have been given to laborers or servants who were paid on a daily basis.

Another theory suggests that the name DEE could be a variation of the French surname "Dey," which was derived from the Old French word "dei" or "dieu," meaning "God." This may indicate that the name was initially given to someone who worked in a religious profession or had a strong religious devotion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DEE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1203, where a person named Richard Dee is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which listed a Walter Dee. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records that documented landholdings and property transactions in different counties.

During the 14th century, the surname DEE was found in several English towns and villages, including Bedfordshire, where a John Dee was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records used to collect money for wars and other national expenses.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname DEE was John Dee (1527-1608), an English mathematician, astronomer, and occultist who was a highly influential figure during the Renaissance period. He served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I and is credited with introducing the concept of the "British Empire" to the English court.

Another notable person with the surname DEE was Francis Dee (1692-1786), a British landscape architect and garden designer who was responsible for creating several famous gardens in England, including those at Blenheim Palace and Stowe House.

Thomas Dee (1619-1663) was an English merchant and pamphleteer who played a significant role in the English Civil War, publishing several influential works that supported the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the 18th century, John Dee (1758-1826) was a prominent English physician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of medicine and was a member of the Royal College of Physicians.

More recently, Ruby Dee (1922-2014) was an American actress and civil rights activist who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the film "American Gangster." She was also a recipient of the Grammy, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild awards for her outstanding work in the entertainment industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dee

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

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

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

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