2000
#80,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Demmings
A topographic surname referring to someone living by a dam or near dimming waters.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 288 Americans carry the last name Demmings. That puts it at #81,311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,190,119 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demmings 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
288
1 in 1,190,119
Census rank
#81,311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
251
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 251 bearers of the surname Demmings in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demmings, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.3%. The next largest groups are White (12.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demmings
The surname Demmings is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the name "Demings," which is derived from the Old English word "deming," meaning "judge" or "one who judges."
The earliest known records of the name Demmings can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical documents and records from that era. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a certain Roger de Deming as a landholder in Oxfordshire.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name Demmings appeared in various spellings, such as Demyngs, Demmyngs, and Dymyngs, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times. The variant "Demmings" seems to have solidified as the predominant spelling by the 16th century.
In the 16th century, the Demmings surname was found in various counties across southern and central England, particularly in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. This suggests that the name may have originated in one of these regions before spreading to other parts of the country.
One notable figure bearing the Demmings surname was John Demmings, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who was born in 1612 and died in 1667. He served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Buckingham and wrote several religious works.
Another individual of note was William Demmings, a 17th-century English lawyer and judge who was born in 1638 and died in 1707. He served as a justice of the Court of King's Bench and was known for his expertise in legal matters.
In the 18th century, the Demmings surname was found in various regions of England, with notable individuals including Richard Demmings (1708-1782), a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, and Elizabeth Demmings (1740-1819), a prominent philanthropist and supporter of educational causes in Oxfordshire.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was George Demmings (1802-1878), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas, including the iconic St. Pancras railway station.
Another 19th-century individual of note was Henry Demmings (1828-1901), a British explorer and naturalist who undertook several expeditions to Africa and published several influential works on the flora and fauna of the continent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demmings
Among Census respondents with the surname Demmings, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.3%. The next largest groups are White (12.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Demmings 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 Demmings surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American81.3% · 204
- White12.0% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 10
- Two or more races2.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demmings
Demmings 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
#80,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 234
+15 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 424 places
2020
#81,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 251
+17 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 385 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,502 | 219 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80,926 | 234 | 0.08 | +15 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 424 places |
| 2020 | #81,311 | 251 | 0.08 | +17 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 385 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 Demmings 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 | #80,926 | #81,311 | -0.5% |
| Count | 234 | 251 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demmings bearers went from 234 to 251 (+7.3% change). The surname moved down 385 positions in the national ranking, going from #80,926 to #81,311.
FAQ
Demmings surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demmings?
Name Census estimates that about 288 living Americans carry the surname Demmings. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,190,119 residents.
How common is Demmings?
Demmings ranks #81,311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 251 people with the surname Demmings. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (288), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Demmings.
Has Demmings become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demmings went from 234 recorded bearers to 251. That is an increase of 17 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #80,926 to #81,311.
What does the Census say about the background of Demmings?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demmings, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.3%. The next largest groups are White (12.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Demmings in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (204 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demmings appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (81.3%), White (12.0%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Demmings (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 Demmings mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone living by a dam or near dimming waters. 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 Demmings (0.08 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 Demmings?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.