2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Demotts
A surname derived from a placename referring to someone from Demotte, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Demotts. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demotts 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Demotts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demotts, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demotts
The surname DEMOTTS has its origins in the northern regions of France, emerging sometime during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "demott," which means "a small hill" or "a mound." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or on a small hill or elevated land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their estates compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de Motte," which further reinforces the connection to the Old French word for a small hill or mound.
During the 12th century, the name DEMOTTS appeared in various records and manuscripts across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. The spelling variations included "de Motte," "de la Motte," and "de Mottes," reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time.
One notable bearer of the name was Jean de Motte, a French nobleman who lived in the 14th century and served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was known for his valor and leadership in several battles against the English forces.
Another prominent figure with the surname DEMOTTS was Pierre de la Motte, a French explorer and cartographer who lived in the late 16th century. He was among the first Europeans to map and document the coastlines of parts of North America, including the areas that are now known as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
In the 17th century, the name DEMOTTS appeared in the records of the Dutch settlement of New Netherland (present-day New York). This suggests that some bearers of the name may have migrated from France to the New World during this period.
One such individual was Jacob de Motte, a Dutch colonist who arrived in New Netherland in the 1640s and became a prominent landowner and merchant in what is now Brooklyn, New York.
During the 18th century, the surname DEMOTTS gained recognition in various parts of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, and Germany. Notable bearers of the name from this period include:
1. François de Motte (1688-1771), a French mathematician and philosopher known for his contributions to the field of probability theory.
2. Willem de Motte (1740-1812), a Dutch naval officer and explorer who served in the East Indies and made significant contributions to the mapping of the Indonesian archipelago.
3. Johann de Motte (1763-1831), a German composer and violinist who lived and worked in the court of the Elector of Saxony.
While the surname DEMOTTS may have originated as a locational name referring to a small hill or mound, its bearers have left their mark across various fields throughout history, from military service and exploration to mathematics and music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demotts
Among Census respondents with the surname Demotts, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Demotts 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 Demotts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demotts
Demotts 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,312 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-16 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,493 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,312 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 15,493 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 Demotts 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 | #134,712 | #150,205 | -11.5% |
| Count | 125 | 109 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demotts bearers went from 125 to 109 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 15,493 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Demotts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demotts?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Demotts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Demotts?
Demotts ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Demotts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Demotts.
Has Demotts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demotts went from 125 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Demotts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demotts, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Demotts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demotts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Demotts (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 Demotts mean?
A surname derived from a placename referring to someone from Demotte, France. 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 Demotts (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 share the surname Demotts?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.