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

Desper, 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 Desper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Desper in America

Desper is the 36788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Desper surname appeared 607 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 Desper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Desper 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 Desper

The surname Desper is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "desper," meaning desperate or hopeless. It is believed to have emerged in the early Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.

The name was likely initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who was seen as desperate or hopeless in their circumstances or actions. It may have been given to individuals who found themselves in dire situations or displayed a sense of despair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Desper can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a 12th-century medieval cartulary from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France. The document mentions a certain "Robertus Desper" in the year 1174.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Livre des Bourgeois de Reims, a register of citizens in the city of Reims, France. An entry from 1273 records a "Johannes Desper" among the list of residents.

The Desper surname can also be traced back to various regions in France, including Normandy, Picardy, and Champagne. It is possible that the name was initially more prevalent in these areas before spreading to other parts of the country.

One notable individual with the Desper surname was Jean Desper, a French soldier and military engineer who lived in the 15th century. He is known for his contributions to the construction and fortification of various castles and fortresses during the Hundred Years' War.

Another figure of historical significance is Pierre Desper, a French physician and scholar who lived in the 16th century. He authored several works on medicine and philosophy, including a treatise on the plague titled "De Peste Tractatus" published in 1567.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the French settlement of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia, Canada). A certain Jacques Desper is mentioned as one of the early settlers in the region, arriving in the 1630s.

Moving into the 18th century, we find Marie-Anne Desper, a French painter and miniaturist who was active in the early 1700s. Her works were highly regarded and can be found in various museum collections across Europe.

Lastly, in the 19th century, there was François Desper, a French politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the French National Assembly during the Second Republic (1848-1852). He was known for his advocacy of workers' rights and social reforms.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Desper

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

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

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

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