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

Dempster, 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 Dempster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dempster in America

Dempster is the 12148th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dempster surname appeared 2,565 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dempster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dempster 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 Dempster

The surname Dempster originated in Scotland during the medieval period, deriving from the Scots word 'dempster' or 'dempstare,' which referred to a judge or an officer of the court. This name has its roots in the Middle English word 'dempstre' and the Old French word 'demestreire,' both of which stem from the Latin word 'demetiri,' meaning to adjudicate or measure out.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in Scotland. One notable example is William le Dempstere, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where individuals such as John le Dempstare and Adam le Dempstare were mentioned. These records suggest that the name was widely used in medieval Scotland and associated with legal or judicial roles.

The Dempster surname is also connected to several place names in Scotland, such as Dempster Street in Greenock and Dempster Gardens in Irvine, both of which were likely named after individuals bearing this surname.

One notable figure in history with the Dempster surname was Thomas Dempster (1579-1625), a Scottish historian and scholar who wrote extensively on the history of Scotland and the Roman Empire. Another was George Dempster (1732-1818), a Scottish lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the abolition of the slave trade.

Other historical figures include James Dempster (1776-1853), a Scottish architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow; William Dempster (1871-1923), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons; and Agnes Dempster (1902-1986), a Scottish artist and sculptor known for her portrait busts and public commissions.

Throughout its history, the surname Dempster has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish origins and has been associated with legal and judicial roles, as well as various other professions and endeavors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dempster

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

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 Dempster 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 Dempster 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 Dempster was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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