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

Desch, 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 Desch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Desch in America

Desch is the 20239th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Desch surname appeared 1,315 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Desch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Desch 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 Desch

The surname DESCH is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "desch," meaning a bundle or sheaf, which was likely an occupational name for a thatcher or someone who worked with bundles of straw or reeds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DESCH can be found in the "Bürgermeisterbuch" (Book of Burgomasters) of the city of Nuremberg, dated around 1350, where a certain "Hans Desch" is mentioned as a respected citizen and craftsman.

During the 16th century, the DESCH name appeared to have gained prominence in the region of Saxony, particularly in the areas around Leipzig and Dresden. In the "Kirchenbuch" (Church Book) of the village of Lößnitz, near Dresden, several entries from the mid-1500s mention families with the name DESCH.

A notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Desch, a German composer and organist who lived from 1625 to 1697. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the organ repertoire in the Baroque era, and his works were widely performed in churches across Saxony and neighboring regions.

In the late 17th century, a branch of the DESCH family migrated to the Austrian region of Tyrol, where they established themselves as skilled craftsmen and tradesmen. One such individual, Michael Desch (1670-1743), was a prominent woodcarver and sculptor who created intricate altarpieces and religious statuary for churches throughout Tyrol and Bavaria.

Another noteworthy bearer of the DESCH surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Desch (1784-1853), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the courts of Hanover and later became a professor of law at the University of Göttingen. His writings on civil and criminal law were highly influential in the development of legal frameworks in various German states.

In the 19th century, the DESCH name also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond through emigration. For instance, William Desch (1815-1890), a German-born engineer, played a significant role in the construction of railroads and bridges in the United States, particularly in the state of Pennsylvania.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Desch

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

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

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

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