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

Den, 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 Den surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Den in America

Den is the 62189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Den surname appeared 322 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Den.

We can also compare 2010 data for Den 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 Den

The surname Den has its roots in various parts of Europe and can be traced back several centuries. It is believed to have originated as a toponymic surname, derived from a place name or a geographic location.

One of the earliest known origins of the surname Den can be found in England, where it is thought to have been derived from the Old English word "denu," meaning a valley or a hollow. This suggests that some of the earliest bearers of the name Den may have resided in or near valleys or hollows, and the name became associated with their place of residence.

Another possible origin of the surname Den is the Dutch language, where it may have been derived from the word "den," meaning a pine tree or a fir tree. This could indicate that some individuals with this surname may have lived near or worked with pine or fir trees, leading to the adoption of the name.

In Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark and Sweden, the surname Den is also found. Here, it is believed to have originated as a patronymic surname, formed by adding the suffix "-en" to the first name of the father or ancestor. For example, if the father's name was "Den," his son might have taken the surname "Denen" or simply "Den."

Historical records provide some early examples of individuals bearing the surname Den. One notable mention is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named "Edric de Den" is listed as a landowner in Worcestershire, England. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century in England.

Other early records include Johannes den Bouwer (1470-1533), a Dutch architect and sculptor known for his work on the Town Hall of Middelburg in the Netherlands. In England, Richard Den (1516-1593) was a notable Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.

In the 17th century, Cornelis den Decker (1617-1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and genre paintings. Later, in the 19th century, Sir James Den Hartog (1835-1904) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British Virgin Islands.

One of the more famous individuals with the surname Den was the American baseball player Joe Den, also known as Joseph Patrick Dennin (1914-1980). He played as an outfielder for several Major League Baseball teams, including the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics.

These examples illustrate the diverse origins and historical presence of the surname Den across various regions and cultures, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Den

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

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

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

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