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

Deese, 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 Deese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deese in America

Deese is the 5265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deese surname appeared 6,626 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 Deese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deese 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 Deese

The surname Deese has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "Dese," which referred to a bundle or a sheaf of grain or hay. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who worked with hay or grain, possibly a farmer or a harvester.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Deese can be found in the historical records of the Rhineland region of Germany, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings such as "Dese," "Desen," and "Desen."

During the 16th century, the name Deese began to spread across other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. Records from this period show variations in spelling, including "Dees," "Deess," and "Deesse."

In the town of Memmingen, located in the German state of Bavaria, there is a record of a prominent citizen named Hans Deese, who lived in the late 15th century. He served as a member of the town council and played a significant role in local affairs.

Another notable figure with the surname Deese was Johann Deese, a German theologian and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. Born in 1630 in the town of Nuremberg, he studied at the University of Jena and later became a professor at the University of Altdorf, where he taught until his death in 1682.

In the 18th century, the name Deese appeared in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Switzerland. One example is Pieter Deese, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in Amsterdam during the 1700s and was involved in the lucrative spice trade with the East Indies.

In the 19th century, the surname Deese found its way to the United States, as many German immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One notable American with this surname was William Deese, a Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army during the conflict. He was born in 1842 in Pennsylvania and later settled in Ohio after the war.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Deese, an educator and women's rights advocate who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1865 in North Carolina, she dedicated her life to promoting education and advocating for women's suffrage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deese

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

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

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

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