2000
#15,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,728
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Defoe
A French locational surname derived from "de la foy", meaning "from the beech tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,127 Americans carry the last name Defoe. That puts it at #15,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,144 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Defoe 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 Defoe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 161,144
Census rank
#15,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,855 bearers of the surname Defoe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Defoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (14.9%) and Black (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Defoe
The surname Defoe has its origins in France, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French term "de la foy," meaning "of the faith," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who were particularly devout or involved in religious matters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Defoe surname can be found in the archives of the town of Caen in Normandy, where a certain Jean Defoe was listed as a resident in the year 1587. This provides a glimpse into the geographical origins of the name and its potential connection to the Normandy region.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Defoe, Deffoë, and Defeau. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and the influence of different languages and dialects.
In England, the Defoe surname gained particular prominence with the life and works of Daniel Defoe, the renowned writer and journalist born in 1660. Defoe is best known for his novel "Robinson Crusoe," which is often credited as one of the earliest English novels and a pioneering work of realistic fiction.
Another notable figure with the Defoe surname was Jacques Defoe, a 17th-century French engraver and painter who was active in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. His works were highly regarded and can be found in various art collections across Europe.
The Defoe name also appears in historical records from the Netherlands, with a prominent example being Hendrik Defoe, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in the late 16th century. He was known for his involvement in the thriving spice trade between the Netherlands and the East Indies.
In Scotland, the Defoe surname can be traced back to the 18th century, with records showing a family of Defoes residing in the region of Aberdeenshire. One notable member of this family was Robert Defoe, a successful businessman and landowner who lived from 1730 to 1812.
Another individual of note was Marie-Anne Defoe, a French playwright and author who lived during the late 18th century. Her works, which explored themes of love, betrayal, and societal norms, were widely performed and acclaimed in her time.
While the Defoe surname may have originated in France, it has since spread across various parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing this name contributing to diverse fields such as literature, art, business, and trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Defoe
Among Census respondents with the surname Defoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (14.9%) and Black (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Defoe 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 Defoe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.4% · 1,214
- American Indian and Alaska Native14.9% · 277
- Black or African American9.4% · 174
- Two or more races5.9% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Defoe
Defoe 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
#15,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,848
+120 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 232 places
2020
#15,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,855
+7 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,539 | 1,728 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,771 | 1,848 | 0.63 | +120 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 232 places |
| 2020 | #15,231 | 1,855 | 0.62 | +7 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 540 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 Defoe 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 | #15,771 | #15,231 | 3.4% |
| Count | 1,848 | 1,855 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.62 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Defoe bearers went from 1,848 to 1,855 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 540 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,771 to #15,231.
FAQ
Defoe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Defoe?
Name Census estimates that about 2,127 living Americans carry the surname Defoe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,144 residents.
How common is Defoe?
Defoe ranks #15,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,855 people with the surname Defoe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Defoe.
Has Defoe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Defoe went from 1,848 recorded bearers to 1,855. That is an increase of 7 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,771 to #15,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Defoe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Defoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (14.9%) and Black (9.4%). 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 Defoe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.4% (1,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Defoe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (14.9%), Black (9.4%). 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 Defoe (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 Defoe mean?
A French locational surname derived from "de la foy", meaning "from the beech tree". 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 Defoe (0.62 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 Defoe?
See how many Americans have the surname Defoe on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.