2000
#11,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,442
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Dempster
A Scottish occupational surname referring to a judge or arbiter, from the Old English "dem(e)stre" meaning "judge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,713 Americans carry the last name Dempster. That puts it at #12,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,338 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dempster 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dempster with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,338
Census rank
#12,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,366 bearers of the surname Dempster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dempster, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dempster
Among Census respondents with the surname Dempster, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dempster 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 Dempster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 1,905
- Black or African American10.4% · 246
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 101
- Two or more races2.9% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dempster
Dempster 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
#12,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,565
+123 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 395 places
2020
#12,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,366
-199 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,753 | 2,442 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,148 | 2,565 | 0.87 | +123 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 395 places |
| 2020 | #12,508 | 2,366 | 0.79 | -199 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 360 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 Dempster 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 | #12,148 | #12,508 | -3.0% |
| Count | 2,565 | 2,366 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.79 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dempster bearers went from 2,565 to 2,366 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 360 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,148 to #12,508.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dempster
FAQ
Dempster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dempster?
Name Census estimates that about 2,713 living Americans carry the surname Dempster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,338 residents.
How common is Dempster?
Dempster ranks #12,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,366 people with the surname Dempster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dempster.
Has Dempster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dempster went from 2,565 recorded bearers to 2,366. That is a decrease of 199 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,148 to #12,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Dempster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dempster, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Dempster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (1,905 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dempster appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Black (10.4%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Dempster (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 Dempster mean?
A Scottish occupational surname referring to a judge or arbiter, from the Old English "dem(e)stre" meaning "judge." 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 Dempster (0.79 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 Dempster?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.