2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dekat
A surname of Czech origin meaning "short" or "diminutive".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Dekat. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dekat 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Dekat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dekat, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dekat
The surname "DEKAT" is believed to have originated from Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "dekat," which referred to a type of fabric or cloth, suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in the textile trade or industry.
During the late medieval period, surnames in German-speaking regions often originated from occupations, physical characteristics, or places of residence. The name "DEKAT" could have been an occupational surname, indicating an individual's profession or trade related to the production or sale of a particular fabric.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "DEKAT" can be found in the parish records of the town of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. In the year 1587, a certain Hans DEKAT was mentioned as a resident of the town, and his name appeared in various legal documents and transactions.
As German families migrated across Europe and beyond, the surname "DEKAT" spread to other regions. In the 17th century, records show a family named DEKAT residing in the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands, where they were involved in the lucrative textile trade. Notable individuals from this family include Pieter DEKAT (1621-1687), a successful merchant, and his son, Jan DEKAT (1657-1724), who served as a prominent alderman in the city.
Moving forward to the 18th century, the name "DEKAT" can be found in historical records from various parts of Germany, including Prussia and the Rhineland. One noteworthy figure was Friedrich DEKAT (1738-1812), a respected scholar and author who published several works on philosophy and theology.
In the 19th century, the surname "DEKAT" gained recognition in the field of literature. Karl DEKAT (1819-1892) was a German novelist and poet whose works explored themes of romance and nature. His contemporaries included Theodor DEKAT (1825-1901), a renowned playwright and dramatist whose plays were performed in theaters across Germany.
As immigrant communities established themselves in different parts of the world, the surname "DEKAT" traveled beyond its German origins. In the early 20th century, records indicate the presence of individuals with this surname in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, likely descendants of earlier German immigrants seeking new opportunities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dekat
Among Census respondents with the surname Dekat, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dekat 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 Dekat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 104
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dekat
Dekat 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+11 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,759 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 1,759 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,608 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 Dekat 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 | #143,149 | #145,757 | -1.8% |
| Count | 116 | 115 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dekat bearers went from 116 to 115 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #145,757.
FAQ
Dekat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dekat?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Dekat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Dekat?
Dekat ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Dekat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dekat.
Has Dekat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dekat went from 116 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Dekat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dekat, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Dekat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dekat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Dekat (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 Dekat mean?
A surname of Czech origin meaning "short" or "diminutive". 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 Dekat (0.04 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 Dekat?
See how many people have the last name Dekat on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.