2000
#9,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Dehaan
A Dutch toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a pasture or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,968 Americans carry the last name Dehaan. That puts it at #9,071 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dehaan 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 Dehaan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,380
Census rank
#9,071
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,460 bearers of the surname Dehaan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9071st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dehaan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dehaan
The surname DEHAAN originated in the Netherlands, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch term "de haan," which translates to "the rooster" or "the cock." This name was likely descriptive, referring to a person who bore some resemblance to the bird or potentially had a connection to the raising or trading of roosters.
In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland, particularly in the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as DeHaan, De Haan, or Dehaan, were common during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEHAAN surname can be found in the baptismal records of the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in Amsterdam, where a certain Pieter Jansz DeHaan was mentioned in 1588. Another early reference comes from the municipal archives of Rotterdam, which document a Cornelis DeHaan in 1612.
The name DEHAAN has also been associated with notable figures throughout history. In the 17th century, Gerbrand Adriaensz DeHaan (1600-1668) was a renowned painter and engraver from Haarlem, known for his intricate still-life compositions and landscapes.
In the 19th century, Jacobus DEHAAN (1816-1892) was a prominent Dutch theologian and author, recognized for his influential works on Christian theology and biblical exegesis.
Another notable bearer of the DEHAAN surname was Pieter DEHAAN (1891-1986), a Dutch-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the DEHAAN Foundation, which supported various educational and charitable initiatives.
Jacob DEHAAN (1919-1994) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II, known for his bravery and dedication to the underground movement against the Nazi occupation.
Lastly, Martin DEHAAN (1945-2021) was a celebrated Dutch architect and urban planner, renowned for his innovative designs and contributions to sustainable urban development.
These examples highlight the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who carried the DEHAAN surname throughout history, solidifying its enduring presence in Dutch society and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dehaan
Among Census respondents with the surname Dehaan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dehaan 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 Dehaan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 3,164
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 107
- Two or more races2.9% · 102
- Black or African American1.4% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dehaan
Dehaan 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
#10,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,200
+193 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 173 places
2020
#9,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,460
+260 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 1,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,899 | 3,007 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,072 | 3,200 | 1.08 | +193 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 173 places |
| 2020 | #9,071 | 3,460 | 1.16 | +260 bearers (+8.1%) | Up 1,001 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 Dehaan 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 | #10,072 | #9,071 | 9.9% |
| Count | 3,200 | 3,460 | 8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.16 | 7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dehaan bearers went from 3,200 to 3,460 (+8.1% change). The surname moved up 1,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,072 to #9,071.
FAQ
Dehaan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dehaan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,968 living Americans carry the surname Dehaan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,380 residents.
How common is Dehaan?
Dehaan ranks #9,071 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,460 people with the surname Dehaan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,968), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Dehaan.
Has Dehaan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dehaan went from 3,200 recorded bearers to 3,460. That is an increase of 260 (+8.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,072 to #9,071.
What does the Census say about the background of Dehaan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dehaan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Dehaan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (3,164 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dehaan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Dehaan (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 Dehaan mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a pasture or meadow. 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 Dehaan (1.16 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 are called Dehaan?
You can see how many people have the surname Dehaan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.