2000
#7,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Derry
Derived from the Irish place name Doire, meaning "oak wood," or from the French place name Airelle, meaning "berry."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,290 Americans carry the last name Derry. That puts it at #8,469 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,896 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Derry 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 Derry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,896
Census rank
#8,469
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,741 bearers of the surname Derry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8469th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Derry, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Derry
The surname Derry is believed to have originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "doire," which means "oak grove" or "oak wood." The name is closely associated with the city of Derry, also known as Londonderry, in Northern Ireland.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Derry can be found in ancient Irish manuscripts and records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for individuals who lived near or worked in oak groves or forests.
One notable historical reference to the name Derry is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention several individuals with the surname Derry, suggesting that the name was well-established in Ireland by the 13th century.
In the 16th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many English and Scottish settlers arrived in the region, and the name Derry became more widespread. The city of Derry itself was an important center of trade and commerce during this period, and it is likely that the surname gained prominence as a result.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Derry was John Derry, who was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, around 1550. He was a prominent landowner and local official during the Plantation of Ulster.
Another notable figure was Sir Edward Derry (1598-1667), an English soldier and politician who served as Governor of the Isle of Man and played a significant role in the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the surname Derry was found in various parts of Ireland, as well as in areas of Scotland and England where Irish immigrants had settled. One notable individual from this period was William Derry (1720-1789), an Irish-born artist and engraver who worked in London and is known for his portraits and landscapes.
In the 19th century, the Derry surname spread further as Irish immigration to the United States and other parts of the world increased. One prominent individual from this era was Reverend James Derry (1822-1902), an Irish-born Presbyterian minister who served in several churches in the United States and was a vocal advocate for temperance and abolition.
Another notable figure was Joseph Derry (1861-1938), a Canadian-born businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in various mining and industrial ventures.
Throughout history, the surname Derry has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting its Irish origins and the dispersal of Irish people around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Derry
Among Census respondents with the surname Derry, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Derry 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 Derry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 2,878
- Black or African American12.6% · 471
- Two or more races5.1% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 144
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Derry
Derry 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
#7,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,209
+13 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 547 places
2020
#8,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,741
-468 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 606 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,316 | 4,196 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,863 | 4,209 | 1.43 | +13 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 547 places |
| 2020 | #8,469 | 3,741 | 1.25 | -468 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 606 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 Derry 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 | #7,863 | #8,469 | -7.7% |
| Count | 4,209 | 3,741 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.25 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Derry bearers went from 4,209 to 3,741 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 606 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,863 to #8,469.
FAQ
Derry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Derry?
Name Census estimates that about 4,290 living Americans carry the surname Derry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,896 residents.
How common is Derry?
Derry ranks #8,469 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,741 people with the surname Derry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,290), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Derry.
Has Derry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Derry went from 4,209 recorded bearers to 3,741. That is a decrease of 468 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,863 to #8,469.
What does the Census say about the background of Derry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Derry, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Derry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (2,878 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Derry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Black (12.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Derry (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 Derry mean?
Derived from the Irish place name Doire, meaning "oak wood," or from the French place name Airelle, meaning "berry." 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 Derry (1.25 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 Derry?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.