2000
#32,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Dern
A German surname referring to an inhabitant of a secluded or drained area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 730 Americans carry the last name Dern. That puts it at #37,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 469,526 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dern 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
730
1 in 469,526
Census rank
#37,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
637
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 637 bearers of the surname Dern in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dern, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dern
The surname DERN is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "derne," meaning "thorn" or "bramble bush." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a thorny thicket or a place with an abundance of brambles.
One of the earliest known references to the surname DERN can be found in the German Church Records of Saxony from the mid-16th century. These records document individuals with the surname DERN residing in various towns and villages across the region.
In the 17th century, the surname DERN appeared in the records of the Free Imperial City of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in present-day Bavaria, Germany. The name was associated with families who were involved in various trades and professions within the city.
During the 18th century, the surname DERN spread across various parts of Germany, as well as to neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. This was likely due to migration and the movement of people during that time period.
One notable individual with the surname DERN was Johann Andreas DERN (1693-1776), a German theologian and Lutheran pastor who served in the town of Wertheim, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Another prominent figure was Karl Friedrich DERN (1765-1853), a German painter and engraver from Leipzig, who was renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from the surrounding countryside.
In the 19th century, the surname DERN was documented in various German-speaking regions, including parts of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic, which were once part of the German Empire.
One notable individual from this era was Emil DERN (1829-1901), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities in Germany.
As German immigrants began to migrate to other parts of the world, the surname DERN spread to various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
One prominent American with the surname DERN was Bruce DERN (born 1936), an acclaimed actor known for his roles in films such as "Coming Home," "Monster," and "Nebraska." He was born in Winona, Illinois, and has had a prolific career spanning over six decades.
While the surname DERN is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history rooted in German heritage, with a meaning that likely ties back to the natural landscape and vegetation of the regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dern
Among Census respondents with the surname Dern, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dern 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 Dern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 572
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 28
- Two or more races3.3% · 21
- Black or African American1.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dern
Dern 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
#39,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 565
-110 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 6,802 places
2020
#37,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 637
+72 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 1,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,202 | 675 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,004 | 565 | 0.19 | -110 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 6,802 places |
| 2020 | #37,540 | 637 | 0.21 | +72 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 1,464 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 Dern 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 | #39,004 | #37,540 | 3.8% |
| Count | 565 | 637 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.21 | 12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dern bearers went from 565 to 637 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 1,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,004 to #37,540.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dern
FAQ
Dern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dern?
Name Census estimates that about 730 living Americans carry the surname Dern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 469,526 residents.
How common is Dern?
Dern ranks #37,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 637 people with the surname Dern. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (730), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Dern.
Has Dern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dern went from 565 recorded bearers to 637. That is an increase of 72 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #39,004 to #37,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Dern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dern, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Dern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Dern (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 Dern mean?
A German surname referring to an inhabitant of a secluded or drained area. 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 Dern (0.21 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 last name Dern?
Want to know how many people have the last name Dern? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.