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

Dery, 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 Dery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dery in America

Dery is the 18385th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dery surname appeared 1,506 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dery 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 Dery

The surname Dery is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Old French word "derie," which means "to mock" or "to ridicule." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone known for their mocking or jesting behavior.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Dery can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. It is found in various medieval records and documents from that era, often spelled differently, such as "Derie," "Deri," or "Derye." The name's presence in Normandy aligns with the region's close ties to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066, which facilitated the spread of French names and surnames across the English Channel.

One notable historical reference to the name Dery is found in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen" (Book of Burgesses of Rouen), a medieval manuscript from the 14th century that recorded the names of prominent citizens in the city of Rouen, Normandy. The name "Jean Dery" appears in this document, suggesting that the family had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the name Dery is recorded in the parish records of the town of Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf, also located in Normandy. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was Nicolas Dery, born in 1542. Another notable figure from this era was Jean Dery (1567-1638), a French clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Toul.

As the name spread throughout France, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One prominent individual with the surname Dery was Jacques-René Hébert Dery (1762-1800), a French-Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dery include:

1. Jean-Baptiste Dery (1760-1832), a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
2. Edouard Dery (1833-1898), a French-Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Quebec City from 1888 to 1891.
3. Eugène Dery (1876-1954), a Canadian painter and illustrator known for his landscape and portrait works.
4. Joseph Dery (1893-1971), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.
5. Céline Dery (born 1931), a Canadian actress and television personality who has appeared in numerous French-language productions.

While the surname Dery is found across various regions and cultures today, its roots can be traced back to the northern regions of France, where it likely originated as a nickname for someone known for their mocking or jesting nature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dery

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

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

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

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