2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Desain
A surname derived from a placename, possibly from the French "des Ains" meaning "of the Ains".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Desain. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desain 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Desain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desain, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desain
The surname DESAIN originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "desain," which means "a person who draws or designs." The name first appeared in records in the region of Normandy, France, in the 12th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Jean DESAIN, a skilled artist and designer who worked in the court of King Philip II of France in the late 12th century. Jean's works included intricate tapestries and illuminated manuscripts commissioned by the royal family.
In the 13th century, the name DESAIN was recorded in the Hundred Rolls, a census of landowners in England conducted during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that members of the DESAIN family had migrated from France to England during the Norman Conquest or shortly thereafter.
During the Renaissance period, the name DESAIN became associated with artists and architects. Notable examples include Pierre DESAIN (1510-1564), a French painter and sculptor who worked on the decoration of the Palace of Fontainebleau, and Jacques DESAIN (1592-1636), a renowned architect from Rouen who designed several churches and public buildings in Normandy.
In the 17th century, the DESAIN family produced several distinguished military officers. One of the most prominent was Louis DESAIN (1630-1703), a French general who served under King Louis XIV and played a crucial role in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Marie-Anne DESAIN (1701-1768), a French writer and philosopher who was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement. Her works explored themes of education, feminism, and social reform.
Over the centuries, variations of the surname DESAIN emerged, including DESAINE, DESAYN, and DESAYNE. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and spelling conventions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desain
Among Census respondents with the surname Desain, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Desain 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 Desain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desain
Desain 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,507 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,005 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,507 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,005 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 Desain 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 | #138,304 | #141,309 | -2.2% |
| Count | 121 | 121 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desain bearers went from 121 to 121 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,005 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #141,309.
FAQ
Desain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desain?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Desain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Desain?
Desain ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Desain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Desain.
Has Desain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desain went from 121 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Desain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desain, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Desain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Desain (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 Desain mean?
A surname derived from a placename, possibly from the French "des Ains" meaning "of the Ains". 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 Desain (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 share the surname Desain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.