2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Defevers
A variant of the French surname "DeFièvres", which refers to someone from the town of Fièvres.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Defevers. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Defevers 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Defevers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Defevers, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Defevers
The surname DEFEVERS has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "de" meaning "from" and "fevers" meaning "beans". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with bean crops.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEFEVERS can be found in the Livre Terrier de Normandie, a French land registry from the 13th century. This document mentions a family with the surname "de Fevers" residing in the Normandy region.
In the 14th century, a nobleman named Jean DEFEVERS was recorded as owning lands in the village of Brétigny-sur-Orge, which was located in the present-day Essonne department of northern France. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence during this period.
During the Renaissance era, a notable figure was François DEFEVERS (1535-1612), a French Catholic theologian and writer who served as the Bishop of Nevers from 1585 until his death. His works included several treatises on Church doctrine and religious philosophy.
Another historical figure was Jacques DEFEVERS (1620-1687), a French military engineer and architect who played a significant role in the fortification of several cities in France, including Lille and Arras. He is credited with designing the citadel of Lille, which was a major defensive structure during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, a man named Louis DEFEVERS (1748-1822) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in Paris. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the French nobility and aristocracy.
A variation of the name, "Defevere," can be found in historical records from the Netherlands and Belgium. This suggests that the surname may have also been present in these regions, possibly due to migration or linguistic influences.
It is worth noting that the DEFEVERS surname is not as common as some other French surnames, but it has persisted throughout history, with various individuals leaving their mark in fields such as religion, architecture, and craftsmanship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Defevers
Among Census respondents with the surname Defevers, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Defevers 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 Defevers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.5% · 5
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Defevers
Defevers 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+8 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,598 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-14 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,953 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 1,598 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 13,953 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 Defevers 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 | #134,712 | #148,665 | -10.4% |
| Count | 125 | 111 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Defevers bearers went from 125 to 111 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 13,953 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #148,665.
FAQ
Defevers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Defevers?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Defevers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Defevers?
Defevers ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Defevers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Defevers.
Has Defevers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Defevers went from 125 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Defevers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Defevers, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Defevers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Defevers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Defevers (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 Defevers mean?
A variant of the French surname "DeFièvres", which refers to someone from the town of Fièvres. 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 Defevers (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Defevers?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.