2000
#9,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Denmark
A locational surname indicating the person's ancestral origin in the country of Denmark.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,666 Americans carry the last name Denmark. That puts it at #9,692 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denmark 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 Denmark with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,495
Census rank
#9,692
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,197 bearers of the surname Denmark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9692nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (33.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denmark
The surname DENMARK is an English locational name derived from the placename Denmark, which referred to the Scandinavian country of Denmark. This surname likely originated during the Middle Ages, when many individuals began adopting hereditary surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
DENMARK as a surname can trace its roots back to the 12th or 13th century, when it first started appearing in English records. The name was likely adopted by individuals who had migrated from Denmark to England, or by those who lived in areas associated with Danish settlers or influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DENMARK can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated around 1273. This document mentions a person named William de Denmark, indicating the presence of the surname in medieval England.
In the 14th century, the surname DENMARK appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, which documented legal proceedings and transactions in Yorkshire. A man named John Denmark was mentioned in these records, suggesting the surname's use in northern England during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname DENMARK include William Denmark (c. 1540-1589), an English merchant and sea captain who was involved in early English voyages to the West Indies and North America. Another prominent figure was Richard Denmark (1591-1653), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Great Bedwyn during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the surname DENMARK was found in various English parish records, such as those of St. Mary's Church in Beddington, Surrey, which recorded the baptism of a child named Thomas Denmark in 1661.
During the 18th century, the surname DENMARK appeared in several historical documents, including the Vectis Scenery, a publication about the Isle of Wight, which mentioned a person named Richard Denmark (1720-1789), a landowner and member of the local gentry.
Another notable individual with the surname DENMARK was John Denmark (1766-1846), an English Baptist minister and author who wrote several religious works and served as the pastor of the Baptist Church in Worstead, Norfolk.
Throughout its history, the surname DENMARK has been associated with various locations and place names, particularly those with Danish influences or connections. While the name originated as a locational surname, it has since become a distinctive English surname with a rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denmark
Among Census respondents with the surname Denmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (33.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Denmark 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 Denmark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 1,886
- Black or African American33.7% · 1,078
- Two or more races3.9% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denmark
Denmark 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
#9,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,281
+204 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 175 places
2020
#9,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,197
-84 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,684 | 3,077 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,859 | 3,281 | 1.11 | +204 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 175 places |
| 2020 | #9,692 | 3,197 | 1.07 | -84 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 167 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 Denmark 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 | #9,859 | #9,692 | 1.7% |
| Count | 3,281 | 3,197 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.07 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denmark bearers went from 3,281 to 3,197 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,859 to #9,692.
FAQ
Denmark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denmark?
Name Census estimates that about 3,666 living Americans carry the surname Denmark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,495 residents.
How common is Denmark?
Denmark ranks #9,692 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,197 people with the surname Denmark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Denmark.
Has Denmark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denmark went from 3,281 recorded bearers to 3,197. That is a decrease of 84 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,859 to #9,692.
What does the Census say about the background of Denmark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (33.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Denmark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (1,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denmark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Black (33.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Denmark (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 Denmark mean?
A locational surname indicating the person's ancestral origin in the country of Denmark. 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 Denmark (1.07 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 Americans have the surname Denmark?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.