Demeis
A Romanized variant of the German surname Demmes, derived from a nickname for Thomas.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 171 Americans carry the last name Demeis. That puts it at #118,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,004,411 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demeis 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.
Demeis appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
171
1 in 2,004,411
Census rank
#118,954
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135 bearers of the surname Demeis in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 118954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demeis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demeis
The surname Demeis has its origins in Italy, more specifically in the region of Sardinia. The name is believed to have emerged around the 13th century. Sardinia, an island with a rich and distinct history within Italy, has a diverse linguistic background that includes influences from Catalan, Spanish, and native Sardinian languages. The name Demeis is thought to derive from the Sardinian word "de meis," which means "of the month" or "from the month," possibly indicating a familial relationship to a person born in a particular month or a reference to a significant monthly event.
Old records and manuscripts from Sardinia and mainland Italy occasionally reference the surname in various documents. For instance, estate and land records from the 15th and 16th centuries frequently list individuals with the surname Demeis in registries. These historical documents are valuable as they provide insights into the prevalence and distribution of the name during those periods.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Demeis dates back to 1487, with a mention of Giovanni Demeis as a landowner in the Sardinian town of Oristano. Another notable historical figure is Maria Demeis, an early 17th-century midwife from Cagliari, whose work is documented in the town’s birth registers. Her services were highly sought after, and she was esteemed in her community for her skill and dedication.
In the 18th century, the name Demeis appeared in various town registers and legal documents across Sardinia. One noteworthy individual is Francesco Demeis (1703–1765), known for his role as a merchant in the port city of Alghero. His financial activities highlight the commercial connections between Sardinia and the broader Mediterranean region during that era.
By the 19th century, the surname featured in broader Italian records. Pietro Demeis (1799–1869), who was a prominent figure in the Italian Unification movement, contributed significantly to the social and political transformations of the period. He is remembered for his involvement in local politics and efforts to modernize agricultural practices in his homeland.
Lastly, Luigi Demeis (1865–1932), an engineer and inventor from Sassari, patented several technological innovations in early 20th-century Italy. His contributions to the development of modern engineering practices were recognized both in Italy and internationally. Luigi's work exemplifies the continued presence and influence of individuals bearing the Demeis surname throughout history.
The Demeis surname, with its Sardinian roots, encapsulates a rich history marked by notable figures contributing to various fields over several centuries. The evolution of the name reflects the intricate tapestry of Sardinian and Italian heritage, remaining a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demeis
Among Census respondents with the surname Demeis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Demeis bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Demeis surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0%
- Unknown or suppressed3.0%
FAQ
Demeis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demeis?
Name Census estimates that about 171 living Americans carry the surname Demeis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,004,411 residents.
How common is Demeis?
Demeis ranks #118,954 in the 2000 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 2000 Census file counted 135 people with the surname Demeis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (171), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Demeis.
Has Demeis become more or less common over time?
Demeis appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Demeis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demeis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. These figures come from the 2000 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 Demeis in the 2000 Census, accounting for 97.0%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demeis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (97.0%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Demeis appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Demeis mean?
A Romanized variant of the German surname Demmes, derived from a nickname for Thomas. 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 2000 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 Demeis (0.05 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 Demeis?
You can see how many people have the surname Demeis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.