2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Desane
A surname derived from a Norman French variant of the ancient German "Desen" or "desyn" meaning dweller by the thorn-bushes or thickets.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Desane. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desane 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Desane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desane, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desane
The surname DESANE is believed to have originated in France during the late medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old French term "des anes," which translates to "of the donkeys" or "of the asses." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who worked with or cared for donkeys.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DESANE can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Notre-Dame de Longpont, a collection of charters and documents from the Longpont Abbey in Picardy, dated around the 13th century. This document mentions a person named Jehan Desane, who was likely a resident of the area at that time.
Another early reference to the name DESANE appears in the Rôles de l'Échiquier de Normandie, a series of records from the Exchequer of Normandy in the 14th century. These records document a certain Guillemin Desane, who was involved in legal proceedings related to land disputes.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Pierre DESANE (c. 1430-1490) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Rouen, Normandy. He played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs during his lifetime.
During the 16th century, a family with the surname DESANE resided in the village of Desana, located in the Haute-Savoie region of modern-day France. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of their surname over time.
Another individual of historical significance was Jean-Baptiste DESANE (1655-1725), a French composer and organist who served at the Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse. His compositions and musical works were highly regarded during the Baroque era.
In the 18th century, a French nobleman named Marquis Charles-François DESANE (1718-1792) was a prominent military leader who served in the French army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant General and was awarded the prestigious Order of Saint Louis.
While the surname DESANE is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions of France. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, and it has been associated with various notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desane
Among Census respondents with the surname Desane, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Desane 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 Desane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.0% · 80
- Black or African American26.7% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desane
Desane 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
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+16 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,947 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 15,947 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 Desane 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 | #160,975 | #145,028 | 9.9% |
| Count | 100 | 116 | 16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desane bearers went from 100 to 116 (+16.0% change). The surname moved up 15,947 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #145,028.
FAQ
Desane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desane?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Desane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Desane?
Desane ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Desane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Desane.
Has Desane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desane went from 100 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 16 (+16.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Desane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desane, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Desane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.0% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.0%), Black (26.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Desane (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 Desane mean?
A surname derived from a Norman French variant of the ancient German "Desen" or "desyn" meaning dweller by the thorn-bushes or thickets. 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 Desane (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 Desane?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.