2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Desimas
A surname of French origin derived from the month of December.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Desimas. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desimas 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Desimas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desimas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desimas
The surname DESIMAS is believed to have originated in Spain during the 16th century. It is derived from the Spanish phrase "de simas," which translates to "of the ravines" or "from the chasms." This suggests that the name was likely associated with people who lived near or worked in areas with deep ravines or gorges.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DESIMAS surname can be found in the Catalan region of Spain. In 1587, a document from the town of Vilanova i la Geltrú mentions a family with the surname DESIMAS. This document indicates that the family owned a small vineyard near a ravine, further solidifying the connection between the name and its geographical origins.
During the 17th century, the DESIMAS name began to spread beyond the Catalan region. In 1634, a man named Javier DESIMAS was recorded in the city of Seville, where he worked as a stonemason. This suggests that members of the DESIMAS family had started to migrate and establish themselves in other parts of Spain.
In the late 18th century, the DESIMAS surname made its way to the Americas. One of the earliest known individuals with this name in the New World was Juan DESIMAS, who was born in 1776 in Havana, Cuba. Juan DESIMAS later became a renowned sailor and explorer, participating in several expeditions to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Another notable figure with the DESIMAS surname was Emilia DESIMAS, a Spanish writer and educator who lived from 1845 to 1912. Emilia was born in Madrid and spent much of her life advocating for women's education and literacy. She authored several books and was a prominent figure in the early feminist movement in Spain.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the DESIMAS name was the Mexican artist and sculptor, Miguel DESIMAS (1902-1984). Born in Guadalajara, Miguel DESIMAS is celebrated for his intricate stone carvings and monumental public sculptures, which can be found in various cities across Mexico.
While the DESIMAS surname may have originated in a specific region of Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as exploration, literature, art, and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desimas
Among Census respondents with the surname Desimas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Desimas 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 Desimas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desimas
Desimas 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+18 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,016 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-18 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,527 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 9,016 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 15,527 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 Desimas 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 | #139,228 | #154,755 | -11.2% |
| Count | 120 | 102 | -15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desimas bearers went from 120 to 102 (-15.0% change). The surname moved down 15,527 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #154,755.
FAQ
Desimas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desimas?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Desimas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Desimas?
Desimas ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Desimas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Desimas.
Has Desimas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desimas went from 120 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Desimas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desimas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Desimas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desimas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Desimas (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 Desimas mean?
A surname of French origin derived from the month of December. 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 Desimas (0.03 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 Desimas?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.