2000
#1,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.05
Uncommon Last name
Denton
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places in England named Denton, meaning "valley settlement."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,669 Americans carry the last name Denton. That puts it at #1,284 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,176 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denton 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 Denton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,176
Census rank
#1,284
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,745 bearers of the surname Denton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1284th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denton
Among Census respondents with the surname Denton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Denton 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 Denton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 21,907
- Black or African American9.0% · 2,401
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 1,068
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,039
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 173
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 157
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denton
Denton 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
#1,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,742
+630 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 9.40
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#1,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,745
-997 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 8.95
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,187 | 27,112 | 10.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,268 | 27,742 | 9.40 | +630 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #1,284 | 26,745 | 8.95 | -997 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 16 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 Denton 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 | #1,268 | #1,284 | -1.3% |
| Count | 27,742 | 26,745 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.40 | 8.95 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denton bearers went from 27,742 to 26,745 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,268 to #1,284.
FAQ
Denton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denton?
Name Census estimates that about 30,669 living Americans carry the surname Denton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,176 residents.
How common is Denton?
Denton ranks #1,284 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,745 people with the surname Denton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,669), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Denton.
Has Denton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denton went from 27,742 recorded bearers to 26,745. That is a decrease of 997 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,268 to #1,284.
What does the Census say about the background of Denton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Denton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (21,907 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.0%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Denton (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 Denton mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places in England named Denton, meaning "valley settlement." 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 Denton (8.95 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 Denton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.