2000
#10,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Deforest
One who lives near or works in a forest or wooded area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,952 Americans carry the last name Deforest. That puts it at #11,656 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,109 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deforest 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
3.0K
1 in 116,109
Census rank
#11,656
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,574 bearers of the surname Deforest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11656th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deforest, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deforest
The surname DeForest originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the French words "de" meaning "from" and "forest" meaning "forest" or "woodlands." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DeForest surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Foresta," indicating that individuals with this surname lived in or near a forest.
In the 13th century, a prominent family with the DeForest surname held lands in the Normandy region of France. A notable member of this family was Guillaume DeForest (1220-1285), a knight who fought in the Seventh Crusade under King Louis IX of France.
Another early bearer of the DeForest name was Sir John DeForest (1300-1367), an English nobleman and military commander who served in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was known for his bravery and leadership in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
During the 16th century, the DeForest surname spread to the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. One notable figure from this period was Pieter DeForest (1540-1612), a Dutch merchant and explorer who established trade routes in the East Indies and the Americas.
In the 17th century, members of the DeForest family immigrated to the American colonies, where the name became well-established. One of the earliest settlers was Isaac DeForest (1616-1674), a French Huguenot who arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in 1637.
Another prominent figure was Jesse DeForest (1776-1827), an American inventor and pioneer in the development of the telegraph and other communication technologies. He was born in Westchester County, New York, and is credited with creating the first successful system of long-distance communication using static electricity.
The DeForest surname has been carried by numerous other individuals throughout history, including authors, artists, politicians, and military personnel. Despite its French origins, the name has become widely dispersed across various countries and cultures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deforest
Among Census respondents with the surname Deforest, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Deforest 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 Deforest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 2,286
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 108
- Two or more races4.0% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 30
- Black or African American1.1% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deforest
Deforest 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
#11,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,707
+43 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 641 places
2020
#11,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,574
-133 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,956 | 2,664 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,597 | 2,707 | 0.92 | +43 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 641 places |
| 2020 | #11,656 | 2,574 | 0.86 | -133 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 59 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 Deforest 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 | #11,597 | #11,656 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,707 | 2,574 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.86 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deforest bearers went from 2,707 to 2,574 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,597 to #11,656.
FAQ
Deforest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deforest?
Name Census estimates that about 2,952 living Americans carry the surname Deforest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,109 residents.
How common is Deforest?
Deforest ranks #11,656 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,574 people with the surname Deforest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,952), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Deforest.
Has Deforest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deforest went from 2,707 recorded bearers to 2,574. That is a decrease of 133 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,597 to #11,656.
What does the Census say about the background of Deforest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deforest, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Deforest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (2,286 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deforest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Deforest (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 Deforest mean?
One who lives near or works in a forest or wooded area. 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 Deforest (0.86 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 people have the surname Deforest?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.