2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Dening
A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "denu" meaning a valley or dell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Dening. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dening 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 Dening with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Dening in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dening, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dening
The surname DENING is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "denu" or "dene," which means a valley or a hollow. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived in or near a valley or a low-lying area.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing variations such as "de la Dene" and "atte Dene." These early spellings indicate that the name was initially a locative surname, referring to a person's place of residence or origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DENING surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1327. In these records, a certain Richard de la Dene is listed as a taxpayer in the county.
During the 14th century, the surname underwent further changes in spelling, with variations like "Denyng" and "Denynge" appearing in various historical documents. This was a common occurrence during that time, as spellings were often influenced by regional dialects and the personal preferences of scribes.
In the 15th century, the DENING surname is documented in the Court Rolls of Wakefield, Yorkshire. A William Denyng is recorded as holding land in the area around 1440.
One notable bearer of the DENING surname was John Dening, a 16th-century English clergyman and theologian. Born in 1509, he was a prominent figure in the Anglican church and served as the Archdeacon of Rochester from 1557 until his death in 1581.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Dening, a 17th-century English landowner and member of the gentry. He was born in 1625 and owned estates in Berkshire, where he lived until his passing in 1702.
In the 18th century, the DENING surname gained further prominence with the birth of James Dening (1738-1814), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
During the 19th century, the DENING surname was carried by William Dening (1801-1879), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Paddington.
Another notable figure was Sir Henry Dening (1865-1945), a British judge and legal scholar who served as a Lord Justice of Appeal and played a significant role in shaping English contract law.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dening
Among Census respondents with the surname Dening, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dening 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 Dening surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dening
Dening appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+16 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 15,442 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 Dening 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 | #159,712 | #144,270 | 9.7% |
| Count | 101 | 117 | 15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dening bearers went from 101 to 117 (+15.8% change). The surname moved up 15,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #144,270.
FAQ
Dening surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dening?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Dening. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Dening?
Dening ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Dening. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dening.
Has Dening become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dening went from 101 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 16 (+15.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Dening?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dening, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Dening in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dening appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (6.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Dening (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 Dening mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "denu" meaning a valley or dell. 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 Dening (0.04 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 common is the surname Dening?
You can see how many people are called Dening on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.