2000
#25,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 929
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Demille
A French surname derived from the words "de" and "mille", meaning "from the town of Millas".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,529 Americans carry the last name Demille. That puts it at #20,192 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 224,169 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demille 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
1.5K
1 in 224,169
Census rank
#20,192
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,333 bearers of the surname Demille in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20192nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demille, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demille
The surname DeMille originates from France, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from the village of Mille or Milles, located in the southern region of Provence. The prefix "de" signifies "of" or "from," indicating that the bearers of this name hailed from the aforementioned village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DeMille surname can be found in the Calendars of Documents Preserved in France, dating back to the 13th century. These ancient records mention individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "de Millia" and "de Milia."
During the 16th century, the DeMille name appeared in various historical documents, including parish records and tax rolls. Notable figures from this period include Pierre DeMille, a renowned merchant and landowner born in 1542, and Jacques DeMille, a respected theologian and scholar who lived from 1578 to 1648.
As the centuries progressed, members of the DeMille family dispersed across Europe and eventually ventured to the Americas. One prominent individual was Cecil B. DeMille, a legendary American filmmaker born in 1881 and renowned for his epic productions such as "The Ten Commandments" (1923) and "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952).
Another notable bearer of the DeMille surname was Agnes DeMille, an American dancer and choreographer born in 1905. She is best known for her work on the Broadway musical "Oklahoma!" and the Hollywood film "The Greatest Show on Earth," which was directed by her uncle Cecil B. DeMille.
In the realm of literature, James DeMille, a Canadian author and professor, gained recognition for his novels "A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder" (1888) and "The Dodge Club" (1869). He was born in 1833 and passed away in 1880.
The DeMille name has also been associated with notable figures in other fields, such as John DeMille, an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from the state of New York in the early 19th century, born in 1786 and died in 1860.
Despite its French origins, the DeMille surname has left an indelible mark on various cultures and industries throughout history, with bearers of this name contributing significantly to the arts, literature, politics, and other domains.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demille
Among Census respondents with the surname Demille, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Demille 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 Demille surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 1,198
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 53
- Two or more races3.8% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 18
- Black or African American0.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demille
Demille 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
#20,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,269
+340 bearers (+36.6%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 4,254 places
2020
#20,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,333
+64 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 614 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,060 | 929 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,806 | 1,269 | 0.43 | +340 bearers (+36.6%) | Up 4,254 places |
| 2020 | #20,192 | 1,333 | 0.45 | +64 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 614 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 Demille 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 | #20,806 | #20,192 | 3.0% |
| Count | 1,269 | 1,333 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.45 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demille bearers went from 1,269 to 1,333 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 614 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,806 to #20,192.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Demille
FAQ
Demille surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demille?
Name Census estimates that about 1,529 living Americans carry the surname Demille. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 224,169 residents.
How common is Demille?
Demille ranks #20,192 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,333 people with the surname Demille. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,529), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Demille.
Has Demille become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demille went from 1,269 recorded bearers to 1,333. That is an increase of 64 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,806 to #20,192.
What does the Census say about the background of Demille?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demille, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Demille in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (1,198 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demille appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Demille (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 Demille mean?
A French surname derived from the words "de" and "mille", meaning "from the town of Millas". 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 Demille (0.45 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 Demille?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.