2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Denyes
A surname derived from a French place name or locational word meaning "of the woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Denyes. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denyes 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Denyes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denyes
The surname DENYES has its origins in France, specifically in the northern regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "deneie," which means "a denial" or "a refusal."
One of the earliest known references to the name DENYES can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "de Neis," which was likely an early spelling variation.
In the 13th century, records show a DENYES family residing in the village of Denyes, located in the department of Manche, Normandy. This area was likely the place of origin for the surname, and it is possible that the family took their name from the village itself.
During the 14th century, a prominent figure named Jean DENYES (1320-1387) was a French monk and scholar known for his contributions to medieval literature and theology. He authored several works, including a treatise on the Virgin Mary, which was widely circulated in monastic circles.
Another notable bearer of the DENYES surname was Jacques DENYES (1528-1592), a French Protestant leader during the Wars of Religion. He played a significant role in organizing the Huguenot resistance against Catholic persecution and was a key figure in the Siege of La Rochelle.
In the 17th century, the DENYES family expanded beyond France, with some members settling in the American colonies. One such individual was Pierre DENYES (1642-1718), a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution and established a new life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The 19th century saw the birth of Louis-Antoine DENYES (1822-1901), a French painter known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon and are now part of various museum collections.
Another notable bearer of the DENYES name was Marie DENYES (1875-1952), a French-Canadian author and poet. She was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Quebec and was recognized for her contributions to the region's cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denyes
Among Census respondents with the surname Denyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Denyes 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 Denyes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 107
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denyes
Denyes 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-32 bearers (-22.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 36,043 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -32 bearers (-22.9%) | Down 36,043 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 4,311 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 Denyes 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 | #151,532 | #147,221 | 2.8% |
| Count | 108 | 113 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denyes bearers went from 108 to 113 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 4,311 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #147,221.
FAQ
Denyes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denyes?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Denyes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Denyes?
Denyes ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Denyes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Denyes.
Has Denyes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denyes went from 108 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 5 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Denyes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Denyes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denyes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Denyes (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 Denyes mean?
A surname derived from a French place name or locational word meaning "of the woods". 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 Denyes (0.04 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 have the surname Denyes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.