2000
#8,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Demars
A French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "of Mars" or "of the god Mars."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,134 Americans carry the last name Demars. That puts it at #8,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,911 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demars 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
4.1K
1 in 82,911
Census rank
#8,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,605 bearers of the surname Demars in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demars, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demars
The surname DEMARS is of French origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the Normandy region of northern France, where it was initially derived from the old French words "de" meaning "from" and "Mars," which was a reference to the Roman god of war.
One of the earliest known references to the DEMARS name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name appears in various spellings, such as "de Mars" and "de Marres," indicating that it was already in use among Norman families during this time.
In the 13th century, records show that a family bearing the DEMARS name held lands and properties in the village of Marres, located in the Calvados department of Normandy. This area is likely the place of origin for the surname, and it is possible that the name was initially derived from this location.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the DEMARS surname was Raoul de Mars, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the leadership of Richard the Lionheart. Another notable figure was Jean de Mars (c. 1320-1389), a French nobleman and military commander who served under King John II during the Hundred Years' War.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the DEMARS name also appeared in various forms across different regions of France. For instance, in the Picardy region, the name was often spelled as "Demarre" or "Demarres," while in the Ile-de-France region, it was commonly written as "Demars" or "Desmars."
In later centuries, several notable individuals carried the DEMARS surname. These include Jacques Demars (1570-1638), a French playwright and poet who lived during the reign of Louis XIII, and Pierre Demars (1677-1756), a French architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Paris.
Another prominent figure was Michel-René Demars (1782-1837), a French general who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and fought in numerous campaigns, including the Napoleonic Wars. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield and was awarded the prestigious Légion d'honneur.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demars
Among Census respondents with the surname Demars, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Demars 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 Demars surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 3,233
- Two or more races3.8% · 136
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 133
- Black or African American2.0% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demars
Demars 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
#8,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,097
+380 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 117 places
2020
#8,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,605
-492 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 639 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,210 | 3,717 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,093 | 4,097 | 1.39 | +380 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 117 places |
| 2020 | #8,732 | 3,605 | 1.21 | -492 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 639 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 Demars 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 | #8,093 | #8,732 | -7.9% |
| Count | 4,097 | 3,605 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.21 | -13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demars bearers went from 4,097 to 3,605 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 639 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,093 to #8,732.
FAQ
Demars surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demars?
Name Census estimates that about 4,134 living Americans carry the surname Demars. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,911 residents.
How common is Demars?
Demars ranks #8,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,605 people with the surname Demars. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Demars.
Has Demars become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demars went from 4,097 recorded bearers to 3,605. That is a decrease of 492 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,093 to #8,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Demars?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demars, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Demars in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (3,233 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demars appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Demars (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 Demars mean?
A French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "of Mars" or "of the god Mars." 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 Demars (1.21 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 have the surname Demars?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.