2000
#81,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Dench
An English surname derived from the Old English word "denu" meaning a valley or vale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 313 Americans carry the last name Dench. That puts it at #76,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,095,062 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dench 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 Dench with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
313
1 in 1,095,062
Census rank
#76,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
273
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 273 bearers of the surname Dench in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dench, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dench
The surname Dench is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "denc," which means a deep wooded valley or hollow. This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who resided in or near such geographical features.
The earliest known record of the Dench surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Dence" or "de Denche." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants throughout England and parts of Wales.
During the medieval period, the name was predominantly found in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. Some of the earliest recorded instances include William de Dench, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1203, and Robert de Denche, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.
The name Dench is also believed to have connections to various place names, such as Denham and Denchworth, which further reinforces its geographical origins. For example, the village of Denchworth, located in Oxfordshire, was previously known as "Dencheswrthe" in the Domesday Book, meaning "Dench's homestead" or "farm."
Notable individuals who bore the Dench surname throughout history include:
1. Sir John Dench (1588-1658), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wallingford and Berkshire.
2. Thomas Dench (1677-1767), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Doctrine of the Two Covenants."
3. William Dench (1784-1854), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal.
4. Judi Dench (born 1934), the renowned English actress known for her roles in films such as "Shakespeare in Love," "Skyfall," and "Philomena," for which she received an Academy Award.
5. Sir Richard Dench (1915-1997), a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg from 1973 to 1977.
While the Dench surname has evolved over time, with variations like Densh, Denche, and Denchez appearing in historical records, it has maintained its strong English heritage and associations with rural landscapes and settlements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dench
Among Census respondents with the surname Dench, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dench 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 Dench surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 233
- Black or African American5.1% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 14
- Two or more races4.0% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dench
Dench 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
#89,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
-9 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 7,989 places
2020
#76,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 273
+66 bearers (+31.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 13,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,414 | 216 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,403 | 207 | 0.07 | -9 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 7,989 places |
| 2020 | #76,032 | 273 | 0.09 | +66 bearers (+31.9%) | Up 13,371 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 Dench 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 | #89,403 | #76,032 | 15.0% |
| Count | 207 | 273 | 31.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dench bearers went from 207 to 273 (+31.9% change). The surname moved up 13,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,403 to #76,032.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dench
FAQ
Dench surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dench?
Name Census estimates that about 313 living Americans carry the surname Dench. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,095,062 residents.
How common is Dench?
Dench ranks #76,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 273 people with the surname Dench. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (313), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Dench.
Has Dench become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dench went from 207 recorded bearers to 273. That is an increase of 66 (+31.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,403 to #76,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Dench?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dench, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Dench in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (233 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dench appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (5.1%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Dench (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 Dench mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "denu" meaning a valley or vale. 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 Dench (0.09 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 have the surname Dench?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.