DeLancy last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of DeLancy

Delancy derives from French place names meaning "from the meadow."

DeLancy, 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 DeLancy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeLancy in America

DeLancy is the 29947th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeLancy surname appeared 784 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 DeLancy.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeLancy 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank299472478418.87%
Count784943-18.41%
Proportion per 100k0.270.35-25.81%

The history of the last name DeLancy

The surname DELANCY originated in France during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old French words "de l'anci," meaning "from the old." It is believed to have been used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived in an old or ancient place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 13th-century Norman-French manuscript, the "Livre des Manières" (Book of Manners), where it is spelled "de Lancy." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have originated from a place name, possibly a town or village called "Lancy" or a similar spelling.

In the 14th century, the name can be found in various records across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. During this time, the surname was often spelled "de Lancy" or "de Lancey," reflecting the influence of local dialects and scribal variations.

The first known bearer of the DELANCY surname was Jean de Lancy, a Norman nobleman born around 1320. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Philip VI of France and served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War against England.

Another notable individual with this surname was Guillaume DELANCY, a French merchant and explorer born in 1452. He is credited with establishing one of the earliest French settlements in the New World, founding the colony of Île de la Tortue (Tortuga Island) off the coast of present-day Haiti in 1492.

In the 16th century, the DELANCY surname began to appear in English records as French Huguenot refugees fled religious persecution and settled in England. One such individual was Jacques DELANCY, born in 1558 in Rouen, France. He became a prominent merchant in London and played a crucial role in establishing the French Protestant community in the city.

During the 17th century, members of the DELANCY family emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland (later New York). Etienne DELANCY, born in 1628 in Caen, France, was one of the earliest settlers with this surname in the New World. He became a successful merchant and landowner in what is now Manhattan.

Another notable figure was Stephen DELANCY, born in 1663 in Nantes, France. He was a prominent politician and landowner in the Province of New York, serving as a member of the Governor's Council and acquiring vast estates in what is now Westchester County.

As the DELANCY surname spread across different regions and countries, various spelling variations emerged, including DeLancey, Delaunay, and Delano, reflecting local linguistic influences and scribal interpretations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeLancy

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

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 DeLancy was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only46.05%361
Non-Hispanic Black Only45.41%356
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races4.46%35
Hispanic Origin3.32%26

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 DeLancy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White46.05%48.99%-6.19%
Black45.41%44.01%3.13%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%0.00%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%1.38%(S)%
Two or More Races4.46%3.92%12.89%
Hispanic3.32%1.70%64.54%

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 DeLancy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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