Find out how popular the last name Dempsey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dempsey.

Dempsey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dempsey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dempsey in America

Dempsey is the 1308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dempsey surname appeared 26,863 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Dempsey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dempsey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dempsey

The surname Dempsey has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó Díomasaigh, which means "descendant of Díomasach." The name Díomasach itself comes from the word "diomus," meaning "proud" or "arrogant."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dempsey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1172, the annals mention a Diarmaid Ó Diomusaigh, who was a chief of the Uí Ceinnsealaigh, a powerful family in the medieval Irish kingdom of Leinster.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the name Dempsey became more widespread as members of the family were dispersed across the island. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, which listed a William Dempsey in County Cork in 1367.

Over the centuries, the name Dempsey has been associated with several prominent figures in Irish history. One notable example is Jeremiah Dempsey (c. 1589-1667), who was a Roman Catholic priest and a prominent member of the Confederate Catholic Association during the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

Another notable Dempsey was Patrick Dempsey (1858-1915), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Dempsey Brewing Company in Waterloo, Iowa. He was also involved in various civic and charitable organizations in the area.

In the realm of sports, Jack Dempsey (1895-1983) was a famous American boxer who held the world heavyweight championship from 1919 to 1926. He was born William Harrison Dempsey and was of Irish descent.

The name Dempsey has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Dempsey's Head in County Waterford and Dempsey's Rock in County Wexford, both of which are named after local landowners or families bearing the Dempsey surname.

Throughout its long history, the surname Dempsey has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, with many families tracing their lineage back to the medieval Uí Ceinnsealaigh dynasty and the original Gaelic form of the name, Ó Díomasaigh.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dempsey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dempsey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dempsey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dempsey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dempsey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dempsey, please contact us.

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