2000
#3,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,009
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.34
Uncommon Last name
Demers
A French occupational surname referring to a harvester or someone who lives near a farm or dell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,171 Americans carry the last name Demers. That puts it at #3,889 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,699 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demers 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
10K
1 in 33,699
Census rank
#3,889
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,870 bearers of the surname Demers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3889th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demers
The surname DEMERS originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have derived from the French word "demeure," which means "dwelling" or "residence." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked in or managed a dwelling or estate.
The earliest known record of the DEMERS surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy. In the year 1292, a man named Jehan Demers was mentioned in a legal document from the town of Rouen. This indicates that the name was already established in the area during this period.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "de Mers," "Desmers," and "Desmaires," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common at the time. These variations likely stemmed from the way the name was pronounced and recorded by scribes.
One notable historical figure with the DEMERS surname was Jacques Demers, a French explorer and navigator born in 1608. He was known for his explorations in the Great Lakes region of North America and played a significant role in the early mapping of the area.
In the 17th century, the DEMERS name was found in several French-Canadian records, indicating that families bearing this surname had migrated to the New World. One example is Pierre Demers, born in 1642 in Quebec, who was among the early settlers in the region.
Another prominent figure with the DEMERS surname was Louis-Philippe Demers, a Canadian Roman Catholic bishop born in 1789. He served as the Bishop of Vancouver Island from 1847 until his death in 1853 and played a crucial role in establishing the Catholic Church in the region.
In the 19th century, the DEMERS name was well-established in both France and Canada. One notable individual was Joseph-François Demers, a Canadian politician and lawyer born in 1804. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and was known for his advocacy of French-Canadian rights.
Throughout history, the DEMERS surname has also been associated with various places and locations. For instance, the village of Demers in France's Normandy region likely derived its name from an early bearer of the DEMERS surname who lived or held property there.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demers
Among Census respondents with the surname Demers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Demers 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 Demers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 8,136
- Two or more races3.7% · 327
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 282
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 68
- Black or African American0.3% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demers
Demers 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
#3,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,225
+216 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 3.13
Rank movement Down 215 places
2020
#3,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,870
-355 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.97
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,624 | 9,009 | 3.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,839 | 9,225 | 3.13 | +216 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 215 places |
| 2020 | #3,889 | 8,870 | 2.97 | -355 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 50 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 Demers 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 | #3,839 | #3,889 | -1.3% |
| Count | 9,225 | 8,870 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.13 | 2.97 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demers bearers went from 9,225 to 8,870 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,839 to #3,889.
FAQ
Demers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demers?
Name Census estimates that about 10,171 living Americans carry the surname Demers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,699 residents.
How common is Demers?
Demers ranks #3,889 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,870 people with the surname Demers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,171), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Demers.
Has Demers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demers went from 9,225 recorded bearers to 8,870. That is a decrease of 355 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,839 to #3,889.
What does the Census say about the background of Demers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Demers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (8,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Demers (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 Demers mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a harvester or someone who lives near a farm or dell. 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 Demers (2.97 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 Demers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.