2000
#13,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,010
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Denniston
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Dennis' town" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,144 Americans carry the last name Denniston. That puts it at #15,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,867 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denniston 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 Denniston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,867
Census rank
#15,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,870 bearers of the surname Denniston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denniston, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denniston
The surname Denniston has its roots in Scotland, originating in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "Dene" meaning valley and "tun" meaning farm or settlement, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name lived in a valley settlement.
Denniston is believed to be a locational surname, referring to the lands of Dennistoun, a parish in the county of Renfrewshire, Scotland. The earliest recorded spelling of this place name was "Danenceystun" in the 12th century, which evolved into "Danzestoun" and eventually "Dennistoun" by the 16th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Denniston surname appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the Dennistons held a prominent position in Scottish society during that period.
In the 14th century, Sir Robert Denniston, a Scottish knight, was noted for his bravery and military prowess in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English. He fought alongside the legendary William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, playing a significant role in securing Scotland's sovereignty.
Another noteworthy bearer of the Denniston name was John Denniston, born in 1615 in Camiseskan, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was a renowned Presbyterian minister and a staunch supporter of the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played a crucial role in the Scottish Reformation.
In the 18th century, Archibald Denniston, born in 1733 in Glasgow, Scotland, gained recognition as a prominent merchant and shipowner. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes between Scotland and the colonies in North America, significantly contributing to the city's economic growth.
The Denniston surname also has a presence in literary history. James Denniston, born in 1829 in Renfrewshire, Scotland, was a respected scholar and author. He wrote extensively on Scottish literature and folklore, preserving the rich cultural heritage of his homeland.
Throughout the centuries, the Denniston name has been associated with various professions, from military leaders and clergymen to merchants and scholars, reflecting the diverse contributions of this Scottish family to the nation's history and cultural fabric.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denniston
Among Census respondents with the surname Denniston, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Denniston 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 Denniston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,683
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 68
- Two or more races3.6% · 67
- Black or African American2.0% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denniston
Denniston 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
#14,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,058
+48 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 689 places
2020
#15,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,870
-188 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 640 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,806 | 2,010 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,495 | 2,058 | 0.70 | +48 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 689 places |
| 2020 | #15,135 | 1,870 | 0.63 | -188 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 640 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 Denniston 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 | #14,495 | #15,135 | -4.4% |
| Count | 2,058 | 1,870 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.63 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denniston bearers went from 2,058 to 1,870 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 640 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,495 to #15,135.
FAQ
Denniston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denniston?
Name Census estimates that about 2,144 living Americans carry the surname Denniston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,867 residents.
How common is Denniston?
Denniston ranks #15,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,870 people with the surname Denniston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Denniston.
Has Denniston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denniston went from 2,058 recorded bearers to 1,870. That is a decrease of 188 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,495 to #15,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Denniston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denniston, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Denniston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denniston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Denniston (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 Denniston mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Dennis' town" in Old English. 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 Denniston (0.63 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 have the surname Denniston?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.