2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dember
A surname originating from German meaning "December" or "born in December."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Dember. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dember 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Dember in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dember, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dember
The surname Dember is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "demütig," meaning "humble" or "meek." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who displayed qualities of humility or modesty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dember surname can be found in the records of the town of Cologne, dating back to 1587. These records mention a certain Johann Dember, a local merchant who traded in spices and fine fabrics. It is probable that Johann and his family played a role in establishing the surname within the region.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various German manuscripts and registers, with some variations in spelling, such as "Dembert" and "Dembar." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
Interestingly, the Dember surname also found its way into the annals of French history. One notable figure was Jean-Baptiste Dember, a French military officer born in 1742, who served under Napoleon Bonaparte's army during the Napoleonic Wars. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him the prestigious Légion d'Honneur.
Another prominent individual bearing the Dember surname was Heinrich Dember, a German physicist and inventor born in 1892. He made significant contributions to the field of solid-state physics and is best known for his work on the photovoltaic effect, which laid the groundwork for the development of modern solar cells.
In the realm of literature, the German author and playwright Gertrud Dember, born in 1906, gained recognition for her novels and plays that explored themes of social justice and the human condition. Her works were widely acclaimed and translated into several languages.
Moving across the Atlantic, the Dember surname also found its way to the United States. One notable figure was Samuel Dember, a Polish-American businessman born in 1875, who established a successful textile manufacturing company in New York City. His entrepreneurial spirit and innovative business practices contributed to the growth of the American textile industry in the early 20th century.
While the surname Dember may not be among the most widespread, its rich history and diverse origins across various countries and cultures serve as a testament to the fascinating journeys and stories that surnames can unveil.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dember
Among Census respondents with the surname Dember, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dember 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 Dember surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 92
- Black or African American14.8% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dember
Dember 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-11 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,448 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 17,448 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 11,707 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 Dember 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 | #139,228 | #150,935 | -8.4% |
| Count | 120 | 108 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dember bearers went from 120 to 108 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 11,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #150,935.
FAQ
Dember surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dember?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Dember. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Dember?
Dember ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Dember. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Dember.
Has Dember become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dember went from 120 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Dember?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dember, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%). 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 Dember in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dember appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (14.8%). 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 Dember (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 Dember mean?
A surname originating from German meaning "December" or "born in December." 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 Dember (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 many people have the last name Dember?
Want to know how many people have the surname Dember? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.