2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Demetre
A surname derived from the Greek name Demetrios, meaning 'follower of Demeter', the goddess of agriculture and fertility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Demetre. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demetre 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Demetre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demetre, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demetre
The surname Demetre is of Greek origin, derived from the Greek name Demetrios, which itself is derived from the Greek word "demeter," meaning "mother of earth." This name has its roots in ancient Greek mythology, where Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility.
The Demetre surname first appeared in historical records in the 12th century in the Byzantine Empire, specifically in the regions of modern-day Greece and parts of Turkey. It was a name commonly given to those with connections to agriculture or the land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Demetre surname can be found in a Byzantine manuscript from the 13th century, where a landowner named Ioannis Demetre is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the surname's prevalence in the region during that time period.
In the 15th century, the Demetre surname gained prominence in the Venetian-controlled Greek islands, particularly on the island of Crete. A notable figure from this era was Georgios Demetre (1420-1498), a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Chania.
As the centuries progressed, the Demetre surname spread throughout the Greek diaspora, with many bearers of the name settling in various parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable example is the Greek-American opera singer Maria Demetre (1875-1949), who achieved fame in the early 20th century for her performances in Europe and the United States.
Another prominent figure with the Demetre surname was the Greek military officer and politician, Konstantinos Demetre (1885-1962), who played a significant role in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 and later served as a member of the Greek parliament.
The Demetre surname has also been associated with notable scholars and intellectuals, such as the Greek philosopher and educator, Alexandros Demetre (1850-1928), who made significant contributions to the field of education in Greece during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Throughout its long history, the Demetre surname has been spelled in various ways, including Demetriou, Demetriades, and Demetrios, reflecting the diverse regions and cultures in which it has been present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demetre
Among Census respondents with the surname Demetre, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Demetre 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 Demetre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demetre
Demetre 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+11 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 250 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-36 bearers (-25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 30,526 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +11 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 250 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -36 bearers (-25.7%) | Down 30,526 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 Demetre 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 | #123,064 | #153,590 | -24.8% |
| Count | 140 | 104 | -25.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demetre bearers went from 140 to 104 (-25.7% change). The surname moved down 30,526 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #153,590.
FAQ
Demetre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demetre?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Demetre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Demetre?
Demetre ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Demetre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Demetre.
Has Demetre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demetre went from 140 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 36 (-25.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Demetre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demetre, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Demetre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demetre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Demetre (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 Demetre mean?
A surname derived from the Greek name Demetrios, meaning 'follower of Demeter', the goddess of agriculture and fertility. 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 Demetre (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Demetre?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.