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

Derks, 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 Derks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Derks in America

Derks is the 21842nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Derks surname appeared 1,190 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 Derks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Derks 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 Derks

The surname Derks is of Dutch origin and can be traced back to the medieval period in the Netherlands. It is derived from the Dutch word "derk," which means a servant or a serf. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked as a servant or in a similar occupation.

During the Middle Ages, surnames were not as common as they are today, and people were often identified by their occupation, place of origin, or a physical or personality trait. The earliest recorded instances of the name Derks can be found in Dutch records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Derks was Hendrick Derks, a farmer from the village of Buren in the province of Gelderland, who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he owned a small plot of land and paid taxes to the local lord.

In the 16th century, the name Derks began to spread to other parts of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. During this time, a notable individual with the surname was Willem Derks, a merchant from Amsterdam who traded in spices and textiles. He was born in 1542 and died in 1612.

As the Dutch explored and colonized other parts of the world, the surname Derks also traveled with them. One notable example is Jan Derks, a Dutch settler in New Amsterdam (now New York) in the 17th century. He was born in 1625 in Utrecht and arrived in the Dutch colony in 1652, where he became a successful trader and landowner.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname Derks was Pieter Derks, a Dutch painter born in 1702 in Rotterdam. He was known for his landscapes and maritime scenes, and his works can be found in various museums in the Netherlands.

Another notable individual with the surname Derks was Anthonie Derks, a Dutch military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1782 in Nijmegen and rose through the ranks to become a colonel in the Dutch army. He participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Over the centuries, the surname Derks has spread to various parts of the world, carried by Dutch immigrants and their descendants. While the name may have evolved in spelling or pronunciation in some regions, its origins can be traced back to the medieval Netherlands and its original meaning as a servant or serf.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Derks

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

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

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

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