Find out how popular the last name DeKalb is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeKalb.

DeKalb, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DeKalb surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeKalb in America

DeKalb is the 72105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeKalb surname appeared 270 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname DeKalb.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeKalb to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name DeKalb

The surname DeKalb is of French origin, and it first appeared during the late 12th century in the northern regions of France. The name is derived from the Old French words "de" and "kalb," which translate to "from" and "bald" respectively. It is believed that the surname was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was bald or had a distinctive hairline.

The earliest recorded instances of the DeKalb surname can be found in medieval documents from the regions of Normandy and Picardy in France. In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the DeKalb name. However, there are listings of similar-sounding surnames, such as "de Calva" and "de Calvis," which may have been variations or precursors to the DeKalb name.

One of the earliest known individuals with the DeKalb surname was Jean DeKalb, who was born in Normandy around 1350. He was a minor landowner and is mentioned in several local records from the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Pierre DeKalb, a French military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1737 and was killed in battle in 1780 while serving as a major general in the Continental Army.

In the 16th century, the DeKalb surname began to appear more frequently in records across northern France, particularly in the regions of Picardy, Normandy, and Île-de-France. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "DeCalb" or "DeKalbe," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One of the most famous individuals with the DeKalb surname was Johann DeKalb, a German-born botanist and explorer who lived from 1743 to 1817. He is credited with introducing many plant species from North America to Europe and played a significant role in the early study of American flora.

Another notable figure was Auguste DeKalb, a French painter who lived from 1815 to 1895. He was known for his landscape paintings and works depicting scenes from rural life in France. His paintings are housed in several prestigious museums throughout Europe.

As the DeKalb surname spread beyond France, it also became associated with various place names. For example, DeKalb County in Georgia, United States, was named after Johann DeKalb, the German-born botanist and explorer mentioned earlier. Similarly, the city of DeKalb, Illinois, was named after Baron DeKalb, a French-born military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War alongside Pierre DeKalb.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeKalb

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeKalb.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeKalb was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DeKalb has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name DeKalb was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of DeKalb, please contact us.

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