2000
#22,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,065
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Deo
A surname derived from the Latin word "deo" meaning "God" or "deity".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,111 Americans carry the last name Deo. That puts it at #15,346 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,366 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deo 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 Deo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 162,366
Census rank
#15,346
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,841 bearers of the surname Deo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15346th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 65.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.5%) and Black (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deo
The surname DEO is believed to have originated in Italy, with records dating back to the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "deus," meaning "god" or "deity," suggesting that it may have initially been used as a nickname or occupational name for someone with religious associations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEO can be found in the archives of the city of Genoa, where a certain Giovanni DEO is mentioned in a document from 1387. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at that time.
In the 15th century, the surname DEO appeared in various records across Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy. For example, a Francesco DEO is mentioned in a Florentine census from 1427, and a Matteo DEO is listed in a Milanese tax register from 1492.
The name DEO has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Giacomo DEO, a renowned Italian artist and sculptor who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1598). His works can still be found in various churches and museums across Italy.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Giovanni Battista DEO (1555-1637), a Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Tortona from 1621 until his death.
In the 17th century, the DEO surname can be found in records from the Kingdom of Naples, where a certain Vincenzo DEO (1612-1678) was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar.
Moving into the 18th century, we encounter Antonio DEO (1732-1801), an Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
Finally, in the 19th century, a notable figure was Luigi DEO (1823-1899), an Italian politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Finance in the Kingdom of Italy from 1867 to 1868.
While the surname DEO may not be as common as some other Italian surnames, its historical roots and associations with notable individuals throughout the centuries demonstrate its enduring presence in the cultural and intellectual fabric of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deo
Among Census respondents with the surname Deo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 65.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.5%) and Black (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Deo 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 Deo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander65.5% · 1,205
- White20.5% · 377
- Black or African American5.4% · 99
- Two or more races4.6% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deo
Deo 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
#17,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,578
+513 bearers (+48.2%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 4,786 places
2020
#15,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,841
+263 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 2,406 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,538 | 1,065 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,752 | 1,578 | 0.53 | +513 bearers (+48.2%) | Up 4,786 places |
| 2020 | #15,346 | 1,841 | 0.62 | +263 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 2,406 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 Deo 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 | #17,752 | #15,346 | 13.6% |
| Count | 1,578 | 1,841 | 16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.62 | 16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deo bearers went from 1,578 to 1,841 (+16.7% change). The surname moved up 2,406 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,752 to #15,346.
FAQ
Deo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,111 living Americans carry the surname Deo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,366 residents.
How common is Deo?
Deo ranks #15,346 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,841 people with the surname Deo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Deo.
Has Deo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deo went from 1,578 recorded bearers to 1,841. That is an increase of 263 (+16.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,752 to #15,346.
What does the Census say about the background of Deo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 65.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.5%) and Black (5.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Deo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.5% (1,205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (65.5%), White (20.5%), Black (5.4%). 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 Deo (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 Deo mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "deo" meaning "God" or "deity". 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 Deo (0.62 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 Americans have the surname Deo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.