2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Dembiec
A Polish surname derived from the word "dąb" meaning oak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Dembiec. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dembiec 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Dembiec in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dembiec, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dembiec
The surname Dembiec is of Polish origin, and its roots can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Polish word "dąb," which translates to "oak." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with people who lived near oak forests or worked with oak trees.
The earliest records of the surname Dembiec can be found in historical documents from the 15th century. One notable example is a mention in the Liber Beneficiorum, an ecclesiastical registry from the Krakow Diocese, dated 1470. This document references a certain Paulus Dembiec, who was likely a landowner or a person of some significance in the region.
In the 16th century, the name Dembiec appeared in various Polish court records and land registers. One noteworthy individual was Jan Dembiec, a nobleman and military commander who served under King Sigismund I the Old in the early 1500s. He was recognized for his bravery in battles against the Teutonic Knights and the Crimean Tatars.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several prominent figures bearing the Dembiec surname. Among them was Stanisław Dembiec (1638-1692), a Polish theologian and priest who served as the rector of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. His writings on moral philosophy and theology were widely respected during his lifetime.
Another notable individual from this period was Michał Dembiec (1670-1738), a Polish nobleman and diplomat who represented the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in various diplomatic missions across Europe. He was known for his skilled negotiations and his efforts to maintain peace between the Commonwealth and its neighbors.
In the 19th century, the Dembiec surname gained further prominence with the accomplishments of Józef Dembiec (1820-1890), a renowned Polish painter and art professor. His works, which often depicted scenes from Polish history and folklore, are considered important contributions to the country's artistic heritage.
While the Dembiec surname has its origins in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and historical events. However, the name remains deeply rooted in its Polish heritage, reflecting the rich cultural and linguistic traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dembiec
Among Census respondents with the surname Dembiec, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dembiec 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 Dembiec surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dembiec
Dembiec appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,793 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 Dembiec 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 | #158,432 | #151,639 | 4.3% |
| Count | 102 | 107 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dembiec bearers went from 102 to 107 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #151,639.
FAQ
Dembiec surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dembiec?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Dembiec. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Dembiec?
Dembiec ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Dembiec. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Dembiec.
Has Dembiec become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dembiec went from 102 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Dembiec?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dembiec, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Dembiec in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dembiec appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Dembiec (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 Dembiec mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "dąb" meaning oak. 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 Dembiec (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 Dembiec?
You can see how many people have the last name Dembiec on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.