2000
#6,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.91
Rare Last name
Depew
Derived from a place name meaning "the pew," referring to an elevated area or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,491 Americans carry the last name Depew. That puts it at #6,771 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Depew 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
5.5K
1 in 62,421
Census rank
#6,771
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,788 bearers of the surname Depew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6771st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Depew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Depew
The surname DEPEW has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "peu," meaning a small hill or hillock. This name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or on a small hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEPEW can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. In an ancient manuscript from the year 1278, a person named Jehan Du Peu is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Rouen.
As the name spread across different regions of France, various spellings emerged, such as De Peu, De Peuw, and De Pew. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the scribes' interpretations of the name's pronunciation.
During the Middle Ages, the DEPEW name gained prominence in certain areas of France, particularly in the northern regions. Records from the 14th century indicate that a family bearing the name De Pew owned a significant estate in the town of Amiens.
One notable figure in history who carried the DEPEW surname was Jacques De Pew (1520-1587), a renowned French architect and stonemason. He was credited with designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Pierre in Rouen, which still stands today.
In the late 16th century, the DEPEW name made its way to England, likely due to the migration of French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was that of Pierre DePew (1575-1641), a merchant who settled in London and established a successful trading business.
Another prominent individual with the DEPEW surname was Sir Robert DePew (1638-1702), an English soldier and politician. He served as a member of Parliament and played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which brought William III and Mary II to the English throne.
As the centuries passed, the DEPEW name continued to spread across various parts of Europe and eventually to other continents. One notable figure from the 19th century was Chauncey DePew (1834-1928), an American lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from New York.
Throughout history, the DEPEW surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, scholars, politicians, and military leaders. While the name's origins can be traced back to a small hill in medieval France, its legacy has left an indelible mark across various cultures and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Depew
Among Census respondents with the surname Depew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Depew 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 Depew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 4,339
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 176
- Two or more races3.7% · 176
- Black or African American0.8% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Depew
Depew 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
#6,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,135
-14 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 462 places
2020
#6,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,788
-347 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,133 | 5,149 | 1.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,595 | 5,135 | 1.74 | -14 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 462 places |
| 2020 | #6,771 | 4,788 | 1.60 | -347 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 176 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 Depew 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 | #6,595 | #6,771 | -2.7% |
| Count | 5,135 | 4,788 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.60 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Depew bearers went from 5,135 to 4,788 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,595 to #6,771.
FAQ
Depew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Depew?
Name Census estimates that about 5,491 living Americans carry the surname Depew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,421 residents.
How common is Depew?
Depew ranks #6,771 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,788 people with the surname Depew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,491), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Depew.
Has Depew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Depew went from 5,135 recorded bearers to 4,788. That is a decrease of 347 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,595 to #6,771.
What does the Census say about the background of Depew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Depew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Depew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (4,339 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Depew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Depew (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 Depew mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "the pew," referring to an elevated area or hill. 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 Depew (1.60 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 Depew?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Depew at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.