2000
#3,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,708
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.97
Uncommon Last name
Dees
An English surname derived from the given name Dennis, or from a place name meaning "deity" or "god."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,051 Americans carry the last name Dees. That puts it at #3,346 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,442 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dees 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dees with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,442
Census rank
#3,346
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,509 bearers of the surname Dees in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3346th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dees, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dees
The surname Dees has its origins in the Netherlands, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "dees," which means "this." This could suggest that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a particular landmark or location.
One of the earliest known references to the name Dees can be found in a Dutch census record from the town of Leiden in the year 1572. The record mentions a Pieter Dees, who was a merchant and landowner in the area.
The Dees surname also appears in various historical documents from the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen. In the 17th century, a notable figure named Jan Dees (1603-1673) was a prominent lawyer and magistrate in the city of Leeuwarden, Friesland.
In the 18th century, the Dees name spread to other parts of Europe, including Germany and France. In 1732, a German philosopher and mathematician named Johann Martin Dees (1705-1759) was born in Hanover. He made significant contributions to the field of calculus and wrote several influential works on mathematics.
Another individual of note was the French artist and painter, Jacques-Louis Dees (1760-1832). Born in Paris, he was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works can be found in various museums across Europe.
In the 19th century, the Dees surname also made its way to the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of William Dees (1812-1888), who was born in Ohio and later became a successful businessman and landowner in Illinois.
Another notable American with the Dees surname was Sarah Dees (1857-1925), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools in Alabama and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women and girls in the South.
Throughout its history, the Dees surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from law and philosophy to art and education. While its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, the name has since spread across the globe, leaving its mark on various cultures and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dees
Among Census respondents with the surname Dees, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dees 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 Dees surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.8% · 7,965
- Black or African American15.2% · 1,596
- Two or more races4.7% · 496
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 281
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 80
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dees
Dees 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
#3,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,887
+179 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Down 194 places
2020
#3,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,509
-378 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 3.52
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,105 | 10,708 | 3.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,299 | 10,887 | 3.69 | +179 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 194 places |
| 2020 | #3,346 | 10,509 | 3.52 | -378 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 47 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 Dees 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 | #3,299 | #3,346 | -1.4% |
| Count | 10,887 | 10,509 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.69 | 3.52 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dees bearers went from 10,887 to 10,509 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,299 to #3,346.
FAQ
Dees surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dees?
Name Census estimates that about 12,051 living Americans carry the surname Dees. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,442 residents.
How common is Dees?
Dees ranks #3,346 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,509 people with the surname Dees. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Dees.
Has Dees become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dees went from 10,887 recorded bearers to 10,509. That is a decrease of 378 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,299 to #3,346.
What does the Census say about the background of Dees?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dees, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Dees in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.8% (7,965 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dees appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.8%), Black (15.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Dees (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 Dees mean?
An English surname derived from the given name Dennis, or from a place name meaning "deity" or "god." 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 Dees (3.52 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 common is the surname Dees?
If you just want to know how common the surname Dees is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.