2000
#7,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,251
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Deel
An occupational surname for a plank maker or wood dealer, derived from the Middle Low German word "dele."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,009 Americans carry the last name Deel. That puts it at #7,361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,428 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deel 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
5.0K
1 in 68,428
Census rank
#7,361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,368 bearers of the surname Deel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deel
The surname Deel originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the northern region known as Friesland. It likely emerged in the 16th or 17th century, derived from the Old Frisian word "deel," meaning "valley" or "dale." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived in or near a valley or low-lying area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Deel surname can be found in the Frisian town of Dokkum, where a family bearing this name is mentioned in church records dating back to the late 1500s. Other early references to the name include mentions in municipal records from the city of Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland, in the early 1600s.
While the Deel surname does not appear to be directly linked to any specific historical figures or events, its geographic origins in Friesland align with the region's rich cultural heritage and longstanding traditions. Friesland was once an independent territory with its own language and customs, and many Frisian surnames have their roots in the region's unique linguistic and historical context.
Notable individuals with the surname Deel throughout history include:
1. Johannes Deel (1670-1738), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life works and landscapes.
2. Pieter Deel (1763-1824), a Frisian politician and businessman who served as the mayor of Harlingen in the early 19th century.
3. Antje Deel (1810-1892), a Frisian author and poet who wrote extensively in the Frisian language.
4. Tjeerd Deel (1876-1943), a Dutch architect renowned for his contributions to the Amsterdam School of architecture.
5. Gerrit Deel (1901-1976), a Frisian farmer and community leader who played a significant role in the preservation of Frisian cultural traditions.
While the Deel surname has its roots in the Netherlands and Friesland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and various historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Frisian region, reflecting the rich tapestry of Dutch surnames and their diverse etymological backgrounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deel
Among Census respondents with the surname Deel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Deel 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 Deel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 4,030
- Two or more races3.4% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 58
- Black or African American0.4% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deel
Deel 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
#7,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,478
+227 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 200 places
2020
#7,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,368
-110 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Up 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,237 | 4,251 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,437 | 4,478 | 1.52 | +227 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 200 places |
| 2020 | #7,361 | 4,368 | 1.46 | -110 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 76 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 Deel 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 | #7,437 | #7,361 | 1.0% |
| Count | 4,478 | 4,368 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.46 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deel bearers went from 4,478 to 4,368 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,437 to #7,361.
FAQ
Deel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deel?
Name Census estimates that about 5,009 living Americans carry the surname Deel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,428 residents.
How common is Deel?
Deel ranks #7,361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,368 people with the surname Deel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,009), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Deel.
Has Deel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deel went from 4,478 recorded bearers to 4,368. That is a decrease of 110 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,437 to #7,361.
What does the Census say about the background of Deel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Deel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (4,030 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Deel (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 Deel mean?
An occupational surname for a plank maker or wood dealer, derived from the Middle Low German word "dele." 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 Deel (1.46 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 Deel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.