Desser last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Desser

A surname derived from the French word for a desert or wilderness area.

Desser, 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 Desser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Desser in America

Desser is the 77522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Desser surname appeared 247 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 Desser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Desser 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 77522 66274 15.64%
Count 247 279 -12.17%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.10 -22.22%

The history of the last name 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Desser

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

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 Desser was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.98% 242
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 2.02% 5

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 Desser has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.98% 97.49% 0.50%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 2.02% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Desser last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/desser-surname-popularity/.

"Desser last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/desser-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 July, 2025

Desser last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/desser-surname-popularity/.

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