2000
#66,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 279
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Desser
A surname derived from the French word for a desert or wilderness area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 314 Americans carry the last name Desser. That puts it at #75,813 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,091,574 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desser 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
314
1 in 1,091,574
Census rank
#75,813
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
274
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 274 bearers of the surname Desser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75813th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desser, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desser
The surname DESSER is of German origin, with roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "dēsser," meaning "one who cuts or shapes." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely associated with professions such as woodcutting or sculpting.
In the region of Bavaria, the name DESSER can be found in historical records dating back to the late 15th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the town of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Desser was listed as a resident in 1487. Around the same period, the surname also appeared in other parts of southern Germany, such as Nuremberg and Regensburg.
The DESSER surname gained prominence in the early 16th century with the birth of Johann Desser (1475-1548), a renowned German mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with developing new methods for calculating planetary motions and publishing influential works that advanced the field of astronomy during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure bearing the DESSER name was Friedrich Desser (1832-1901), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in Berlin, including the city's central railway station, which was considered a architectural masterpiece of its time.
In the 18th century, the DESSER surname found its way to the United States, with early immigrants settling in Pennsylvania and other eastern states. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johannes Desser, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1754.
The annals of history also mention Wilhelm Desser (1878-1942), a German architect and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of reinforced concrete construction. His innovative designs were widely implemented in various building projects throughout Europe in the early 20th century.
Throughout its long history, the DESSER surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Desser, Dässer, and Dasser. While the name is predominantly associated with German heritage, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, though with lesser frequency.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desser
Among Census respondents with the surname Desser, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Desser 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 Desser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 5
- Two or more races1.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desser
Desser 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
#77,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 247
-32 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 11,248 places
2020
#75,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274
+27 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 1,709 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,274 | 279 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,522 | 247 | 0.08 | -32 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 11,248 places |
| 2020 | #75,813 | 274 | 0.09 | +27 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 1,709 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 Desser 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 | #77,522 | #75,813 | 2.2% |
| Count | 247 | 274 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desser bearers went from 247 to 274 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 1,709 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,522 to #75,813.
FAQ
Desser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desser?
Name Census estimates that about 314 living Americans carry the surname Desser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,091,574 residents.
How common is Desser?
Desser ranks #75,813 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 274 people with the surname Desser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Desser.
Has Desser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desser went from 247 recorded bearers to 274. That is an increase of 27 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #77,522 to #75,813.
What does the Census say about the background of Desser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desser, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Desser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Desser (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 Desser mean?
A surname derived from the French word for a desert or wilderness area. 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 Desser (0.09 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 Desser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.