2000
#8,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,598
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Despain
A French occupational surname referring to a baker who specialized in making bread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,501 Americans carry the last name Despain. That puts it at #8,083 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,151 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Despain 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
4.5K
1 in 76,151
Census rank
#8,083
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,925 bearers of the surname Despain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8083rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Despain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Despain
The surname Despain originated in France in the early medieval period, derived from the Old French phrase "des pains" which translates to "of the breads." It is believed to have been an occupational name for a baker or someone involved in the production or selling of bread.
This name first appeared in written records in the 11th century, with the earliest known reference being a mention of a Renaud des Pains in a charter from the region of Normandy, France, dated around 1070. The surname also appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England ordered by William the Conqueror, with entries for individuals such as Radulfus de Pains and Willelmus des Pains.
Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Despain, Despeine, and Despaigne appearing in different regions. One notable early bearer of this surname was Jean Despain, a French nobleman who fought in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) and was knighted for his valor in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
In England, the Despain surname can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French settlers brought their surnames to the country. One of the earliest recorded examples is that of Richard Despain, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195.
Another significant figure in the history of the Despain name was Sir John Despain, a 14th-century English knight and landowner who held estates in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He served as a member of parliament and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1357).
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where a notable bearer was Pieter Despain, a Dutch merchant and explorer who traveled to the East Indies in the early 1600s.
Other notable individuals with the Despain surname throughout history include:
1. Robert Despain (c. 1530-1590), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Archdeacon of Stafford.
2. Jacques Despain (1615-1679), a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of calculus.
3. Theophilus Despain (1677-1736), an English architect and builder who designed several notable churches and estates in the Baroque style.
4. Émilie Despain (1791-1862), a French painter and printmaker known for her detailed depictions of floral subjects.
5. William Despain (1828-1901), an American pioneer and settler who helped establish the town of Provo, Utah, and served as its first mayor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Despain
Among Census respondents with the surname Despain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Despain 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 Despain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 3,486
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 276
- Two or more races2.8% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Despain
Despain 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
#8,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,964
+366 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 87 places
2020
#8,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,925
-39 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,437 | 3,598 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,350 | 3,964 | 1.34 | +366 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 87 places |
| 2020 | #8,083 | 3,925 | 1.31 | -39 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 267 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 Despain 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 | #8,350 | #8,083 | 3.2% |
| Count | 3,964 | 3,925 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.31 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Despain bearers went from 3,964 to 3,925 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 267 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,350 to #8,083.
FAQ
Despain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Despain?
Name Census estimates that about 4,501 living Americans carry the surname Despain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,151 residents.
How common is Despain?
Despain ranks #8,083 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 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 3,925 people with the surname Despain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 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 Despain.
Has Despain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Despain went from 3,964 recorded bearers to 3,925. That is a decrease of 39 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,350 to #8,083.
What does the Census say about the background of Despain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Despain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Despain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (3,486 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Despain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Despain (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 Despain mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a baker who specialized in making bread. 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 Despain (1.31 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 Americans have the surname Despain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.