2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dekett
A locational surname derived from a place name in the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Dekett. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dekett 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Dekett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dekett, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dekett
The surname DEKETT is believed to have originated in medieval England, derived from the Old English words "dēoc" meaning "ditch" or "dike", and "hætt" meaning "hat" or "hood". It is thought to have initially referred to someone who lived near a ditch or dike, or perhaps a maker of hats or hoods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, where a Robert de Ket is mentioned. The spelling variations during this time included De Ket, De Kette, and De Kette. These early spellings suggest the name may have originated in the county of Staffordshire or surrounding areas.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records across England, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1239, which mentions a William De Ket. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279 also document a Henry De Kette.
During the 14th century, the Dekett surname was found in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire from 1379, where a John Dekette is listed. Around the same time, the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1348 mention a Robert Dekette.
One notable individual with this surname was Sir John Dekett, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1442 and was a prominent landowner in the region.
Another historical figure was William Dekett, born in 1568 in Gloucestershire. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his work "A Treatise on the Antiquities of Gloucestershire" published in 1620.
In the 17th century, the Dekett name appeared in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, where the marriage of Thomas Dekett and Elizabeth Wilkins was recorded in 1632.
During the 18th century, a notable individual was Robert Dekett, born in 1712 in Oxfordshire. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, known for his contributions to various charitable causes in his local community.
Throughout the 19th century, the Dekett surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with records indicating a concentration in the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dekett
Among Census respondents with the surname Dekett, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Dekett 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 Dekett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 99
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dekett
Dekett 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+12 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,430 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-23 bearers (-18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,678 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 2,430 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.9%) | Down 18,678 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 Dekett 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 | #137,327 | #156,005 | -13.6% |
| Count | 122 | 99 | -18.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dekett bearers went from 122 to 99 (-18.9% change). The surname moved down 18,678 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #156,005.
FAQ
Dekett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dekett?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Dekett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Dekett?
Dekett ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Dekett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Dekett.
Has Dekett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dekett went from 122 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Dekett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dekett, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Dekett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dekett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Dekett (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 Dekett mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in the Netherlands. 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 Dekett (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 many people are called Dekett?
Want to know how many people have the surname Dekett? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.