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

Denu, 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 Denu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Denu in America

Denu is the 70645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Denu surname appeared 277 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Denu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Denu 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 Denu

The surname DENU is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "denu," which means "stripped" or "deprived." The name likely referred to someone who had been dispossessed or deprived of their land or possessions.

The earliest recorded instances of the DENU surname date back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. One notable reference is found in the Livre des Bourgeois, a medieval manuscript that recorded the names of citizens in the city of Rouen.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across northern France, particularly in the areas of Picardy and Île-de-France. One noteworthy individual from this period was Jean DENU, a landowner from the village of Chamigny, who was mentioned in a land deed dated 1372.

In the 15th century, the DENU surname began to spread to other parts of Europe, including England and the Low Countries. In England, it was often spelled as DENNY, reflecting the local pronunciation. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of William DENNY, a merchant from Bristol who is mentioned in a trade document from 1481.

Another notable bearer of the DENU surname was Jacques DENU, a French philosopher and theologian who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520 - 1597). He was known for his writings on Catholic theology and his involvement in the Catholic Reformation.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the DENU surname continued to be found throughout France, as well as in other European countries. One prominent individual was Pierre DENU (1643 - 1723), a French painter and engraver who was renowned for his portraits and historical paintings.

In the 19th century, the surname DENU was also found in various parts of the United States, likely due to immigration from Europe. One notable American with this surname was John DENU (1816 - 1892), a businessman and landowner from Pennsylvania.

Other historical figures bearing the DENU surname include Henri DENU (1865 - 1938), a French politician and lawyer, and Jean-Baptiste DENU (1788 - 1845), a French military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Denu

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

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

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

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