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

Densmore, 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 Densmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Densmore in America

Densmore is the 8339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Densmore surname appeared 3,971 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 Densmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Densmore 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 Densmore

The surname Densmore has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dene," meaning a valley or hollow, and "mor," meaning a moor or marsh. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived in a valley near a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a William de Denemore from Oxfordshire. The spelling variations at the time included Denesmor, Densmore, and de Denamor.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a John Denesmor was listed as a taxpayer in 1327. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in the West Midlands region of England during that period.

The Densmore family has a historical connection to the village of Densmore in Staffordshire, which may have served as a place of origin for some branches of the family. The name of the village itself is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dene" and "mor," further reinforcing the surname's linguistic roots.

Notable individuals bearing the Densmore surname include William Densmore (1615-1694), one of the early settlers of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. He is considered a founding father of the island's whaling industry.

James Densmore (1707-1789) was a prominent landowner and militia officer in Windham County, Connecticut, during the American Revolutionary War era. He participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill and served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army.

Henry Densmore (1819-1891) was an American businessman and politician from New York. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in the expansion of railroads in the region.

Edward Dana Densmore (1838-1900) was an American ethnologist and scholar best known for his pioneering work in studying and preserving Native American music and culture. He worked closely with the Chippewa and Sioux tribes and published numerous books and recordings.

Emmet Densmore (1898-1972) was a Canadian-American film director and producer active in the early years of Hollywood. He directed several notable films in the 1920s and 1930s, including "The Midnight Taxi" and "The Final Edition."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Densmore

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

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

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

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