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

Deer, 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 Deer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deer in America

Deer is the 11013th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deer surname appeared 2,888 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Deer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deer 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 Deer

The surname Deer originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "deor," meaning a wild animal or a deer. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where it appeared as "le Derre" in 1176.

In medieval times, the name was likely used to identify individuals who were involved in hunting or keeping deer, either as gamekeepers or foresters. Some early bearers of the name may have lived near areas known for their deer populations or forests where deer were found.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Deer was Richard le Deer, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. Another early bearer was Willelmus le Derre, whose name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1274.

The surname Deer can also be linked to various place names in England, such as Deerfield in Derbyshire and Deerham in Norfolk. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Deer include:

1. Sir Ralph Deer (c. 1550 - 1625), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Maldon in Essex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Thomas Deer (1572 - 1636), an English clergyman and author of several religious works, including "The Doctrine of the Sabbath."
3. John Deer (1804 - 1886), an American blacksmith and inventor, best known for founding the Deer & Company, which later became the Deer & Company agricultural machinery company.
4. Sir Ralph Deer (1876 - 1958), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Bermuda from 1935 to 1939.
5. Dorothy Deer (1920 - 2008), an American writer and journalist who authored several books on travel and culture.

While the surname Deer may have evolved from different sources or regions within England, its origins can be traced back to the 12th century and are closely tied to the Old English word for deer or wild animals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deer

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

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

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

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