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

Denton, 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 Denton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Denton in America

Denton is the 1268th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Denton surname appeared 27,742 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Denton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Denton 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 Denton

The surname Denton is of English origin and has its roots in the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various places named Denton, which is an Old English term meaning "valley town" or "valley settlement." The name is composed of two elements: "denu," meaning valley, and "tun," signifying an enclosure or settlement.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Denton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with the name Denton are mentioned in this historic document, indicating the prevalence of the name in various parts of the country.

One notable example from the Domesday Book is Robert de Denton, who held lands in Lancashire. This entry suggests that the surname may have originated from the town of Denton near Manchester, which was a thriving settlement during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, the surname Denton appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and their holdings. One such entry mentions William de Denton, who held land in Buckinghamshire.

Over the centuries, the surname Denton has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Denton (c. 1500-1558), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another prominent individual was John Denton (1561-1617), an English historian and author best known for his work "The Annexed Book of Peculiars for the County Palatine of Lancaster," which provided valuable insights into the history and customs of the region.

In the 17th century, James Denton (1612-1663) gained recognition as an English Puritan clergyman and religious writer. He served as the rector of Stonegrave in Yorkshire and authored several works, including "A Commentary on the Lord's Sermon on the Mount."

The 18th century saw the rise of Thomas Denton (1724-1777), an English engraver and landscape artist renowned for his intricate topographical views of country estates and landscapes. His works were highly sought after by the aristocracy and gentry of the time.

In more recent history, Jeremiah Denton (1924-2014) was an American naval aviator and Vietnam War prisoner of war who gained national attention for his public statement denouncing the ill-treatment of American prisoners during captivity. He later served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1981 to 1987.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Denton

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

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

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

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