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

Deeter, 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 Deeter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deeter in America

Deeter is the 12476th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deeter surname appeared 2,488 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 Deeter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deeter 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 Deeter

The surname Deeter has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the medieval German word "dieter," which means "people" or "folk." This name likely originated in the region of Germany known as Saxony, where it was used to identify individuals who belonged to a particular community or group of people.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Deeter can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this time period and may have been associated with certain families or clans within the region.

In the 14th century, the surname Deeter appeared in various church records and legal documents in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia. One notable individual from this era was Hans Deeter, a wealthy merchant who was born in the town of Erfurt in 1352 and played a significant role in the local trade guilds.

As the surname spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Deter, Deiter, and Deitert. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices at the time.

In the 16th century, there are records of a family named Deeter residing in the town of Wittenberg, where they were involved in the Protestant Reformation movement. One member of this family, Johann Deeter (1523-1587), was a prominent theologian and close associate of Martin Luther.

During the 17th century, the surname Deeter gained prominence in the region of Bavaria, where it was associated with several influential families. One notable figure was Sebastian Deeter (1625-1692), a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in the Baroque style.

As the centuries progressed, individuals bearing the surname Deeter dispersed throughout various parts of Europe and eventually made their way to other parts of the world, including North America. Notable individuals with the surname Deeter include:

1. Heinrich Deeter (1798-1876), a German-American farmer and pioneer who settled in Ohio in the early 19th century.
2. Anna Deeter (1835-1912), a German-American nurse and philanthropist known for her work in establishing hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri.
3. William Deeter (1870-1945), an American lawyer and politician who served as a congressman from New York in the early 20th century.
4. Gertrude Deeter (1879-1950), a Canadian artist and painter renowned for her landscapes and portraiture.
5. Otto Deeter (1894-1977), a German-American engineer and inventor who held numerous patents for industrial machinery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deeter

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

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

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

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