Find out how popular the last name Demeter is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Demeter.

Demeter, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Demeter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Demeter in America

Demeter is the 19945th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Demeter surname appeared 1,345 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Demeter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Demeter to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Demeter

The surname Demeter originates from Greece, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Greek word "Demeter," which was the name of the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the harvest in Greek mythology.

Demeter was a prominent figure in ancient Greek religion and culture, and her name was often used as a personal name or a surname. The name's association with the goddess of agriculture and fertility may have made it a popular choice for families involved in agricultural or rural communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Demeter can be found in ancient Greek manuscripts and inscriptions. For example, the name appears in the "Attic Inscriptions," a collection of ancient Greek inscriptions from the region of Attica, dating back to the 5th century BCE.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Demeter was prevalent in various regions of Greece, particularly in areas with significant agricultural traditions. Historical records from this period, such as church registers and municipal documents, often mention individuals bearing the surname Demeter.

Notable individuals with the surname Demeter throughout history include:

1. Nikolaos Demeter (c. 1530-1590), a Greek scholar and physician who lived during the Renaissance period.
2. Georgios Demeter (1760-1826), a Greek revolutionary who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence.
3. Konstantin Demeter (1857-1923), a Serbian painter and art professor who was known for his portraits and historical paintings.
4. Dimitrios Demeter (1873-1946), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece in the 1920s.
5. Andrei Demeter (1905-1995), a Romanian mathematician and academic who made significant contributions to the field of differential geometry.

The surname Demeter has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Greece, reflecting the geographic distribution of families bearing this surname. For instance, the village of Demeter in the region of Thessaly is believed to have derived its name from the presence of families with the surname Demeter in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Demeter

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Demeter.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Demeter was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Demeter has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Demeter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Demeter, please contact us.

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