2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Degard
A French surname derived from the Old French term "de la garde" meaning "of the guard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Degard. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Degard 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Degard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Degard, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Degard
The surname DEGARD originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "de" meaning "from" and "gard" meaning "guard" or "protector." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who served as a guard or protector, perhaps of a castle or other important place.
The earliest known record of the name DEGARD can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Gard, which is likely an early variation of the modern surname DEGARD.
In the 13th century, a knight named Geoffroy Degard participated in the Seventh Crusade, which was led by King Louis IX of France. This crusade aimed to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims but ultimately failed.
During the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean Degard served as a chamberlain to the Duke of Burgundy. He was responsible for managing the household and finances of the duke's court.
In the 16th century, a French explorer named Jacques Degard is said to have accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to Canada. He is believed to have played a role in the establishment of the French colony of Quebec.
Another notable DEGARD was Pierre Degard, a French philosopher and theologian who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and the nature of the soul.
Throughout history, variations of the spelling of the surname DEGARD have been recorded, including Degarde, Degard, and De Gard. Additionally, some places in France, such as villages or towns, may have been named after individuals bearing this surname or vice versa, further contributing to the name's legacy and geographical spread.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Degard
Among Census respondents with the surname Degard, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Degard 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 Degard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Degard
Degard 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,849 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-13 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,482 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,849 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 11,482 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 Degard 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 | #142,108 | #153,590 | -8.1% |
| Count | 117 | 104 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Degard bearers went from 117 to 104 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 11,482 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #153,590.
FAQ
Degard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Degard?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Degard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Degard?
Degard ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Degard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Degard.
Has Degard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Degard went from 117 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Degard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Degard, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Degard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Degard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Black (1.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Degard (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 Degard mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French term "de la garde" meaning "of the guard." 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 Degard (0.03 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 Degard?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Degard, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.