2000
#7,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,043
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Desmarais
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a marsh, swamp, or wetland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,562 Americans carry the last name Desmarais. That puts it at #7,987 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,132 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desmarais 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
4.6K
1 in 75,132
Census rank
#7,987
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,978 bearers of the surname Desmarais in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7987th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desmarais, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desmarais
The surname Desmarais has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It is believed to have emerged during the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old French words "des" meaning "of" or "from" and "marais" meaning "marsh" or "swamp". This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historic Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry "Radulfus de Marais" is documented, indicating the presence of the name in Normandy during that time period.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Jean Desmarais, a French military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English. He was born around 1320 and served under King Philip VI of France.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various records in the Normandy region, with variations in spelling such as "Des Maretz" and "De Marais". One notable individual from this era was Gilles Desmarais, a French painter and sculptor who was born in Rouen in 1540 and gained recognition for his religious works.
In the 17th century, the name Desmarais became more widespread across France. One prominent figure was Louis-Nicolas Desmarais, a French playwright and author born in Paris in 1670. He is best known for his plays "Le Grondeur" and "La Fausse Antipathie".
Moving into the 18th century, a significant figure bearing the name was Jacques-Philippe Desmarais, a French architect and engineer born in 1745. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur.
Throughout its history, the surname Desmarais has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, artists, writers, and architects. While its origins can be traced back to the marshy regions of Normandy, the name has since spread across France and beyond, representing a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desmarais
Among Census respondents with the surname Desmarais, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Desmarais 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 Desmarais surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,678
- Two or more races3.0% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 115
- Black or African American0.9% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desmarais
Desmarais 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
#7,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,170
+127 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 347 places
2020
#7,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,978
-192 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,586 | 4,043 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,933 | 4,170 | 1.41 | +127 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 347 places |
| 2020 | #7,987 | 3,978 | 1.33 | -192 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 54 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 Desmarais 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 | #7,933 | #7,987 | -0.7% |
| Count | 4,170 | 3,978 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.33 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desmarais bearers went from 4,170 to 3,978 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,933 to #7,987.
FAQ
Desmarais surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desmarais?
Name Census estimates that about 4,562 living Americans carry the surname Desmarais. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,132 residents.
How common is Desmarais?
Desmarais ranks #7,987 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,978 people with the surname Desmarais. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,562), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Desmarais.
Has Desmarais become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desmarais went from 4,170 recorded bearers to 3,978. That is a decrease of 192 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,933 to #7,987.
What does the Census say about the background of Desmarais?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desmarais, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Desmarais in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,678 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desmarais appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Desmarais (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 Desmarais mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a marsh, swamp, or wetland. 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 Desmarais (1.33 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 have the last name Desmarais?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Desmarais, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.