2000
#10,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,788
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Desir
A French surname derived from the Old French word "desirer," meaning "to desire" or referring to someone desirable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,597 Americans carry the last name Desir. That puts it at #6,645 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,239 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desir 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
5.6K
1 in 61,239
Census rank
#6,645
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,881 bearers of the surname Desir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6645th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desir
The surname DESIR originated in France during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "desir", meaning desire or wish. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname given to someone who was particularly passionate or desirous about something.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DESIR surname can be found in the tax records of the Normandy region from the 13th century, where it was spelled as "Desiré". This suggests that the name was present in northern France during this time.
In the 14th century, the DESIR name appears in various charters and legal documents from the regions of Picardy and Île-de-France. One notable example is Jean DESIR, a merchant from Paris who was mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1367.
The DESIR surname can also be found in the records of the French nobility, such as the Armorial Général de France, which was a registry of noble families compiled in the late 17th century. One notable figure listed was Jacques DESIR, a nobleman from the Champagne region who lived in the early 16th century.
During the Renaissance period, the DESIR name was associated with several scholars and writers. One notable figure was Michel DESIR (1501-1567), a French humanist and philosopher who wrote extensively on topics such as ethics and education.
In the 18th century, the DESIR surname gained prominence in the world of art and literature. One notable figure was Jacques-Louis DESIR (1719-1796), a French painter and engraver who was a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.
Another notable bearer of the DESIR name was Pierre-François DESIR (1744-1823), a French playwright and poet who wrote several comedies and satirical works that were popular during the Enlightenment period.
Over the centuries, the DESIR surname has been associated with various place names and locations throughout France. For example, there is a village called Désiré in the Ardennes region, which may have contributed to the development of the surname in that area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desir
Among Census respondents with the surname Desir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Desir 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 Desir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.0% · 4,440
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 175
- Two or more races3.2% · 158
- White1.8% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desir
Desir 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
#7,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,241
+1,453 bearers (+52.1%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 2,754 places
2020
#6,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,881
+640 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Up 1,158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,557 | 2,788 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,803 | 4,241 | 1.44 | +1,453 bearers (+52.1%) | Up 2,754 places |
| 2020 | #6,645 | 4,881 | 1.63 | +640 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 1,158 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 Desir 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 | #7,803 | #6,645 | 14.8% |
| Count | 4,241 | 4,881 | 15.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.63 | 13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desir bearers went from 4,241 to 4,881 (+15.1% change). The surname moved up 1,158 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,803 to #6,645.
FAQ
Desir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desir?
Name Census estimates that about 5,597 living Americans carry the surname Desir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,239 residents.
How common is Desir?
Desir ranks #6,645 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,881 people with the surname Desir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,597), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Desir.
Has Desir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desir went from 4,241 recorded bearers to 4,881. That is an increase of 640 (+15.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,803 to #6,645.
What does the Census say about the background of Desir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desir, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Desir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (4,440 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Desir (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 Desir mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "desirer," meaning "to desire" or referring to someone desirable. 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 Desir (1.63 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 are called Desir?
See how many people have the surname Desir on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.