2000
#13,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Demery
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "of Émérie," likely referring to a town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,493 Americans carry the last name Demery. That puts it at #13,394 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,487 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demery 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Demery with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,487
Census rank
#13,394
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,174 bearers of the surname Demery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13394th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.2%. The next largest groups are White (19.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demery
The surname DEMERY has its origins in France, with records indicating its presence as early as the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "de" meaning "from" and "mer" meaning "sea" or "ocean." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals who resided near the coast or had some connection to maritime activities.
One of the earliest known references to the name DEMERY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book contains several entries referring to individuals with the surname DEMERY, indicating their presence in various parts of Normandy, France, at that time.
During the Middle Ages, the name DEMERY appeared in various historical records, including medieval charters, property deeds, and legal documents. One notable example is the mention of a nobleman named Raoul DEMERY in a charter dated 1275, granting him land and titles in the region of Picardy, France.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname DEMERY was Jean DEMERY (1505-1573), a French diplomat and statesman who served as an ambassador to several European courts during the reign of King Henry II of France. His diplomatic skills and political acumen contributed to the strengthening of France's international relations during that period.
Another notable individual with the surname DEMERY was Marie DEMERY (1623-1698), a French nun and mystic who founded the Order of the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception. Her writings and teachings on spirituality and devotion to the Virgin Mary influenced religious thought and practices in 17th-century France.
In the 18th century, Jacques DEMERY (1732-1804) gained recognition as a renowned French architect and urban planner. His work on the reconstruction and renovation of several cities in France, including Bordeaux and Lyon, left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of the country.
The surname DEMERY can also be traced to various place names in France, such as Demery-en-Champagne, a commune in the Marne department, and Demery-sur-Meuse, a commune in the Meuse department. These place names likely derived from the same root as the surname, indicating the geographical origins or associations of individuals bearing this name.
Throughout its history, the surname DEMERY has been carried by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, clergy, diplomats, architects, and ordinary citizens. While the exact origins and meanings may have evolved over time, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural and historical tapestry of France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demery
Among Census respondents with the surname Demery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.2%. The next largest groups are White (19.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Demery 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 Demery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.2% · 1,222
- White19.7% · 428
- American Indian and Alaska Native12.2% · 266
- Two or more races7.4% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demery
Demery 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
#12,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,516
+384 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 792 places
2020
#13,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,174
-342 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 1,037 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,149 | 2,132 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,357 | 2,516 | 0.85 | +384 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 792 places |
| 2020 | #13,394 | 2,174 | 0.73 | -342 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 1,037 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 Demery 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 | #12,357 | #13,394 | -8.4% |
| Count | 2,516 | 2,174 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.73 | -14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demery bearers went from 2,516 to 2,174 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 1,037 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,357 to #13,394.
FAQ
Demery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demery?
Name Census estimates that about 2,493 living Americans carry the surname Demery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,487 residents.
How common is Demery?
Demery ranks #13,394 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,174 people with the surname Demery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Demery.
Has Demery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demery went from 2,516 recorded bearers to 2,174. That is a decrease of 342 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,357 to #13,394.
What does the Census say about the background of Demery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.2%. The next largest groups are White (19.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Demery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.2% (1,222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.2%), White (19.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (12.2%). 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 Demery (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 Demery mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "of Émérie," likely referring to a town or village. 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 Demery (0.73 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 Demery?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.