2000
#73,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Dentz
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the German "Tanne" meaning fir tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 296 Americans carry the last name Dentz. That puts it at #79,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,157,954 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dentz 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.
Bearers in the US
296
1 in 1,157,954
Census rank
#79,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
258
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 258 bearers of the surname Dentz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dentz
The surname Dentz has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Denz" or "Dentz," which was a nickname derived from the personal name "Theodonicus" or "Theodorich." This name was a combination of the Germanic elements "theud" meaning "people" and "ric" meaning "ruler" or "king."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Dentz can be found in various medieval records and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, where a person named "Conradus Dentz" is mentioned in an entry dated 1375.
In the 15th century, the name Dentz appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce in the Holy Roman Empire. A merchant named Hans Dentz, born around 1420, is recorded as having established a successful trading business in the city.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Dentz," "Dentzsch," and "Dentsch." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
One notable figure bearing the surname Dentz was Johann Friedrich Dentz (1705-1766), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. His works focused on natural theology and the reconciliation of Christian doctrine with scientific reasoning.
Another prominent individual was Karl Dentz (1780-1854), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Berlin during the 19th century. He was responsible for the design of several notable buildings, including the Neue Wache memorial.
In the 18th century, the Dentz surname also found its way to the United States, likely through German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Michael Dentz, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1752 and settled in Pennsylvania.
Another notable American figure with the surname Dentz was Henry Dentz (1841-1918), a Union Army soldier and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War. He was cited for his bravery and gallantry during the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863.
The surname Dentz has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Denzlingen, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and Dentzenheim, a municipality in Alsace, France, which was historically part of the German-speaking region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dentz
Among Census respondents with the surname Dentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dentz 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 Dentz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 223
- Two or more races5.0% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 9
- Black or African American1.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dentz
Dentz 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
#78,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 243
-4 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,413 places
2020
#79,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 258
+15 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 1,014 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,154 | 247 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,567 | 243 | 0.08 | -4 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 5,413 places |
| 2020 | #79,581 | 258 | 0.09 | +15 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 1,014 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 Dentz 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 | #78,567 | #79,581 | -1.3% |
| Count | 243 | 258 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dentz bearers went from 243 to 258 (+6.2% change). The surname moved down 1,014 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,567 to #79,581.
FAQ
Dentz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dentz?
Name Census estimates that about 296 living Americans carry the surname Dentz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,157,954 residents.
How common is Dentz?
Dentz ranks #79,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 258 people with the surname Dentz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (296), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dentz.
Has Dentz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dentz went from 243 recorded bearers to 258. That is an increase of 15 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,567 to #79,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Dentz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). 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 Dentz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dentz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). 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 Dentz (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 Dentz mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the German "Tanne" meaning fir tree. 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 Dentz (0.09 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 common is the surname Dentz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Dentz at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.