2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dermenjian
An Armenian surname indicating an origin from the village of Dermenj.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Dermenjian. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dermenjian 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Dermenjian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dermenjian, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dermenjian
The surname DERMENJIAN originated in Armenia. It is a variant spelling of the Armenian name Dermenjian or Termendjian, derived from the Armenian word "termenj" meaning "interpreter" or "translator." The name likely emerged in the medieval period as an occupational surname for those who worked as interpreters or translators, particularly during the time when Armenia was under the rule of various empires.
The earliest recorded instances of the name DERMENJIAN can be traced back to the 17th century. In 1678, a manuscript from the Armenian Apostolic Church in Etchmiadzin mentions a certain "Yeghishe Dermenjian," suggesting that the name was already in use at that time. Another early reference is found in the records of the Armenian Catholic Church in Istanbul, where a "Khachatur Dermenjian" is listed as a member in 1712.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the DERMENJIAN surname appears in various historical records and documents from the Armenian communities in the Ottoman Empire and Persia. Some notable individuals bearing this name include:
1. Khacher Dermenjian (1770-1832), an Armenian poet and teacher from Karin (modern-day Erzurum, Turkey).
2. Hovhannes Dermenjian (1818-1891), an Armenian writer and educator from Tokat, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey).
3. Hovhannes Dermenjian (1864-1918), an Armenian Catholic priest and writer from Kharpert (modern-day Elazığ, Turkey), who was killed during the Armenian Genocide.
4. Krikor Dermenjian (1883-1956), an Armenian scholar and linguist who specialized in the study of ancient Armenian manuscripts.
5. Khachik Dermenjian (1924-2007), an Armenian-American artist and painter known for his abstract expressionist works.
The DERMENJIAN surname has also been associated with various places in historic Armenia, such as the village of Termenj (or Termendzh) in the Karin province, which may have served as the origin of the name. Additionally, some variations of the name, such as "Termendjian" or "Termentchian," can be found in historical records from different regions within the Armenian cultural sphere.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dermenjian
Among Census respondents with the surname Dermenjian, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dermenjian 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 Dermenjian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 117
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dermenjian
Dermenjian appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+14 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 12,119 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 Dermenjian 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 | #154,907 | #142,788 | 7.8% |
| Count | 105 | 119 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dermenjian bearers went from 105 to 119 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #142,788.
FAQ
Dermenjian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dermenjian?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Dermenjian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Dermenjian?
Dermenjian ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Dermenjian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Dermenjian.
Has Dermenjian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dermenjian went from 105 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 14 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Dermenjian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dermenjian, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Dermenjian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dermenjian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Dermenjian (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 Dermenjian mean?
An Armenian surname indicating an origin from the village of Dermenj. 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 Dermenjian (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 are called Dermenjian?
You can see how many people are called Dermenjian on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.