2000
#4,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,611
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.82
Rare Last name
Denning
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the people of the valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,662 Americans carry the last name Denning. That puts it at #4,558 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,570 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denning 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 Denning with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,570
Census rank
#4,558
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,554 bearers of the surname Denning in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4558th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denning, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denning
The surname Denning is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'denu,' meaning a valley or a hollow. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or in a valley or a hollow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Denning can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de Dening.' This suggests that the name was already in use by the 11th century, and it may have been associated with a particular place or settlement.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records as 'Dening' and 'Denynge,' indicating variations in spelling over time. These early forms of the name are thought to have derived from place names such as Dening in Sussex and Denning in Kent, which both referred to locations situated in valleys or hollows.
One notable bearer of the Denning surname was Sir John Denning (1914-1999), a highly respected English lawyer and judge who served as the Master of the Rolls from 1962 to 1982. He was known for his progressive and influential legal decisions, particularly in the areas of family law and civil liberties.
Another prominent figure was Alfred Denning, Baron Denning (1899-1999), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Master of the Rolls from 1962 to 1982 and later as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1957 to 1962. He was renowned for his judicial activism and his contributions to the development of English law.
In the 16th century, the name appears in records associated with the village of Denning in Kent, such as William Denning, who was born in Denning in 1547. This suggests that the name may have originated from or been associated with this particular location.
The Denning family also had a presence in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Thomas Denning, who emigrated from England to Virginia in the 17th century and settled in Stafford County.
Another notable bearer of the Denning surname was William Frederick Denning (1848-1920), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Music and the Whitechapel Art Gallery.
Overall, the surname Denning has a long and rich history, with its origins rooted in the Old English language and its association with topographic features such as valleys and hollows. It has been borne by many notable individuals throughout history, both in England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denning
Among Census respondents with the surname Denning, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Denning 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 Denning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 6,532
- Black or African American5.7% · 430
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 260
- Two or more races3.4% · 258
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denning
Denning 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
#4,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,076
+465 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Down 86 places
2020
#4,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,554
-522 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 2.53
Rank movement Down 156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,316 | 7,611 | 2.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,402 | 8,076 | 2.74 | +465 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 86 places |
| 2020 | #4,558 | 7,554 | 2.53 | -522 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 156 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 Denning 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 | #4,402 | #4,558 | -3.5% |
| Count | 8,076 | 7,554 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.74 | 2.53 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denning bearers went from 8,076 to 7,554 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 156 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,402 to #4,558.
FAQ
Denning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denning?
Name Census estimates that about 8,662 living Americans carry the surname Denning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,570 residents.
How common is Denning?
Denning ranks #4,558 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,554 people with the surname Denning. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,662), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Denning.
Has Denning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denning went from 8,076 recorded bearers to 7,554. That is a decrease of 522 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,402 to #4,558.
What does the Census say about the background of Denning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denning, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Denning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (6,532 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (5.7%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Denning (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 Denning mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the people of the valley." 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 Denning (2.53 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 are called Denning?
See how common the surname Denning is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.