2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Desporte
A surname of possible French origin, potentially relating to sporting activities or outdoor pursuits.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Desporte. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desporte 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Desporte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desporte, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Black (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desporte
The surname Desporte has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "desporter," meaning "to divert" or "to amuse." The name was likely given to those who engaged in activities related to entertainment or recreation, such as jesters, acrobats, or performers.
The earliest known records of the Desporte name can be found in the northern regions of France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy, where it was prevalent during the 13th and 14th centuries. Some variations in spelling include Desport, Desports, and De Sporte.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jacques Desporte was recorded as a court jester in the household of King Charles VI of France (1368-1422). His role as an entertainer for the royal court likely contributed to the association of the name with performers and entertainers.
Another historical reference to the Desporte name can be found in the Burgundian archives, where a certain Jean Desporte was mentioned as a skilled acrobat and dancer who performed at various noble events in the 15th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Desporte in England dates back to the 16th century, when a family of that name settled in the county of Kent. This branch of the Desporte family produced several notable individuals, including Thomas Desporte (1566-1638), a prominent merchant and landowner.
In the 17th century, a French Huguenot named Pierre Desporte (1610-1678) fled religious persecution and sought refuge in England, where he became a respected silk weaver and established a successful textile business in London.
During the 18th century, a family of Desportes (a variant spelling) gained prominence in the United States. One of its members, René Desportes (1725-1802), served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became a respected landowner in Virginia.
As the centuries progressed, the Desporte name spread across various regions and countries, with individuals bearing this surname making notable contributions in various fields, including the arts, literature, and academia. Some notable figures with the Desporte surname include Edmond Desporte (1857-1918), a French sculptor, and André Desporte (1919-2006), a renowned French writer and poet.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desporte
Among Census respondents with the surname Desporte, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Black (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Desporte 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 Desporte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.4% · 90
- Two or more races8.3% · 10
- Black or African American7.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desporte
Desporte 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+17 bearers (+13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,884 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-19 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+13.8%) | Up 4,884 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 18,245 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 Desporte 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 | #123,064 | #141,309 | -14.8% |
| Count | 140 | 121 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desporte bearers went from 140 to 121 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 18,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #141,309.
FAQ
Desporte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desporte?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Desporte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Desporte?
Desporte ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Desporte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Desporte.
Has Desporte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desporte went from 140 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 19 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Desporte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desporte, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Black (7.4%). 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 Desporte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.4% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desporte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.4%), Two or More Races (8.3%), Black (7.4%). 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 Desporte (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 Desporte mean?
A surname of possible French origin, potentially relating to sporting activities or outdoor pursuits. 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 Desporte (0.04 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 surname Desporte?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.