2000
#7,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Dement
A French occupational surname referring to a person who acted insanely or strangely, or one who was eccentric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,259 Americans carry the last name Dement. That puts it at #8,512 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,478 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dement 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
4.3K
1 in 80,478
Census rank
#8,512
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,714 bearers of the surname Dement in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8512th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dement, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dement
The surname Dement originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "dement," which means "insane" or "mad." This name was likely first given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as being eccentric or behaving in an unconventional manner.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dement can be found in ancient French documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a man named Jehan Dement was mentioned in the tax rolls of the city of Paris in 1292.
Over the centuries, the name Dement has also been associated with various place names in France, such as the town of Dement in the Haute-Marne region. It is possible that some people with this surname may have originally hailed from or been associated with this particular location.
One notable individual with the surname Dement was Jacques Dement, a French philosopher and writer who lived from 1590 to 1670. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, and was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of 17th-century Paris.
Another person of historical significance with this last name was Marie-Louise Dement, a French botanist and naturalist who lived from 1718 to 1780. She is renowned for her extensive research and discoveries in the field of plant life, particularly her work on the flora of the French countryside.
In the realm of literature, the French novelist and playwright Émile Dement (1822-1890) gained recognition for his works exploring themes of love, passion, and societal norms of the time.
In the 19th century, a man named Pierre Dement (1815-1892) made his mark as a successful businessman and entrepreneur in the city of Lyon, where he established several successful textile factories and contributed significantly to the local economy.
Lastly, the French military officer and hero of World War I, Léon Dement (1887-1965), is remembered for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Verdun, where he played a crucial role in defending the city against German forces.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dement
Among Census respondents with the surname Dement, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dement 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 Dement surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 3,318
- Two or more races4.2% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 132
- Black or African American1.6% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dement
Dement 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
#7,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,376
+269 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#8,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,714
-662 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,476 | 4,107 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,595 | 4,376 | 1.48 | +269 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #8,512 | 3,714 | 1.24 | -662 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 917 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 Dement 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 | #7,595 | #8,512 | -12.1% |
| Count | 4,376 | 3,714 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.24 | -16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dement bearers went from 4,376 to 3,714 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 917 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,595 to #8,512.
FAQ
Dement surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dement?
Name Census estimates that about 4,259 living Americans carry the surname Dement. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,478 residents.
How common is Dement?
Dement ranks #8,512 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,714 people with the surname Dement. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Dement.
Has Dement become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dement went from 4,376 recorded bearers to 3,714. That is a decrease of 662 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,595 to #8,512.
What does the Census say about the background of Dement?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dement, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Dement in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (3,318 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dement appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Dement (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 Dement mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a person who acted insanely or strangely, or one who was eccentric. 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 Dement (1.24 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 are called Dement?
Find out how many people are called Dement on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.