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

Denn, 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 Denn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Denn in America

Denn is the 18633rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Denn surname appeared 1,477 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Denn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Denn 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 Denn

The surname DENN originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "denne," which means a thin or slender person. This descriptor may have been used as a nickname or distinguishing characteristic for the earliest bearers of the name.

DENN was initially concentrated in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria, where it appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest documented mentions of the surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a compilation of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the year 1278.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the DENN surname began to spread across other parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Swabia and Franconia. This dispersion is evident in the appearance of the name in local parish records and tax rolls from that era.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named Hans DENN (1490-1547) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Nuremberg. His success and influence likely contributed to the further establishment of the DENN surname within the region.

Another significant figure bearing the DENN name was Christoph DENN (1588-1653), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. His scholarly works on theology and philosophy were widely read and respected during his lifetime.

The DENN surname also found its way into the realm of literature, with the 17th-century German poet and dramatist Johann Christoph DENN (1625-1689) being one of its notable bearers. His contributions to the development of German theater and poetry were highly regarded by his contemporaries.

In the 18th century, the DENN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Gottlieb DENN (1759-1837), a renowned German geographer and cartographer. His detailed maps and atlases were instrumental in advancing the field of geography during that era.

Another noteworthy individual was the 19th-century German philosopher and writer Friedrich DENN (1811-1884), whose works explored the intersection of philosophy, ethics, and religion. His ideas and writings had a significant influence on intellectual discourse of his time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Denn

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

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

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

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