2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Demetris
A surname derived from the Greek name Demetrius, meaning "follower of Demeter", the goddess of agriculture and fertility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Demetris. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demetris 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Demetris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demetris, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demetris
The surname Demetris originated from Greece, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek name Demetrios, which means "follower of Demeter," the Greek goddess of agriculture and fertility. The name was widespread in various regions of Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese and islands like Crete and Rhodes.
In ancient Greek records, the name Demetrios appears in various forms, including Demetrius, Demetrios, and Demetras. One of the earliest known historical figures bearing this name was Demetrius I Soter, a Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 162 to 150 BC. Another notable individual was Demetrius of Phaleron, an Athenian orator, statesman, and philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC.
During the Byzantine Empire, the name Demetrios was popular among the nobility and ruling class. One prominent figure was Demetrios Kydones, a 14th-century scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the attempted reunification of the Eastern and Western churches.
As the Greek diaspora spread across the Mediterranean and Europe, the surname Demetris traveled with them. In the 16th century, a Greek scholar and humanist named Demetrius Chalcondyles settled in Italy and became a renowned teacher of Greek literature and philosophy.
In the 19th century, a Greek military officer named Demetrios Ypsilantis played a crucial role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He was a member of the influential Ypsilantis family and fought alongside his brothers, Alexander and Nicholas, in the struggle for Greek independence.
Another notable figure was Demetris Theodoros Grivas, a Greek Cypriot military officer and guerrilla leader who played a significant role in the Cypriot struggle for independence from British rule in the 1950s. He was born in 1892 and led the EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters) movement during the Cyprus Emergency.
Throughout history, the surname Demetris has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, military leaders, and political figures, all with roots tracing back to the ancient Greek name Demetrios.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demetris
Among Census respondents with the surname Demetris, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Demetris 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 Demetris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 97
- Black or African American6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demetris
Demetris appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Demetris 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demetris bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Demetris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demetris?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Demetris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Demetris?
Demetris ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Demetris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Demetris.
Has Demetris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demetris went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Demetris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demetris, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Demetris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demetris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Black (6.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Demetris (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 Demetris mean?
A surname derived from the Greek name Demetrius, 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 Demetris (0.04 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 last name Demetris?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Demetris on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.