2000
#11,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,631
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Dennard
From the Old English "Dēor-nærd," meaning "deer-brave," referring to a deer hunter or one who tends deer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,023 Americans carry the last name Dennard. That puts it at #11,432 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,382 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dennard 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 Dennard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,382
Census rank
#11,432
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,636 bearers of the surname Dennard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11432nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dennard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.8%. The next largest groups are White (30.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dennard
The surname Dennard has its origins in England, dating back to the late 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "denu" meaning "valley" and "ard" meaning "high ground," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a valley or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Denard." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England.
The spelling of the name evolved over time, with variations such as "Dennarde," "Denarde," and "Dennerde" appearing in various historical records throughout the Middle Ages. Some of these records include the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1199, where a "William Denarde" is mentioned, and the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire from 1207, which reference a "Robert Dennerde."
In the 14th century, the surname Dennard began to appear more frequently in historical documents, particularly in the regions of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. One notable individual from this period was John Dennard, born in 1325 in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, who served as a member of the local council.
Another prominent figure bearing the Dennard surname was Sir Thomas Dennard (1515-1583), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dennard family established themselves in various parts of England, with some members migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable example is Robert Dennard (1620-1690), who was born in Gloucestershire but later emigrated to the American colonies, settling in Virginia.
As the centuries passed, the Dennard surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with some individuals achieving notable status. For example, John Dennard (1745-1819) was a renowned architect from Warwickshire, responsible for designing several churches and other notable buildings in the area.
While the surname Dennard has its roots firmly planted in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and early history remain closely tied to the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname in the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dennard
Among Census respondents with the surname Dennard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.8%. The next largest groups are White (30.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dennard 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 Dennard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American59.8% · 1,577
- White30.5% · 804
- Two or more races4.7% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dennard
Dennard 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
#11,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,819
+188 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 133 places
2020
#11,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,636
-183 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,083 | 2,631 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,216 | 2,819 | 0.96 | +188 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 133 places |
| 2020 | #11,432 | 2,636 | 0.88 | -183 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 216 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 Dennard 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 | #11,216 | #11,432 | -1.9% |
| Count | 2,819 | 2,636 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.88 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dennard bearers went from 2,819 to 2,636 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,216 to #11,432.
FAQ
Dennard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dennard?
Name Census estimates that about 3,023 living Americans carry the surname Dennard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,382 residents.
How common is Dennard?
Dennard ranks #11,432 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,636 people with the surname Dennard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,023), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Dennard.
Has Dennard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dennard went from 2,819 recorded bearers to 2,636. That is a decrease of 183 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,216 to #11,432.
What does the Census say about the background of Dennard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dennard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.8%. The next largest groups are White (30.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dennard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (1,577 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dennard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (59.8%), White (30.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Dennard (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 Dennard mean?
From the Old English "Dēor-nærd," meaning "deer-brave," referring to a deer hunter or one who tends deer. 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 Dennard (0.88 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 share the surname Dennard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.