2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dessus
A French surname derived from the word "dessus" meaning "above" or "on top".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Dessus. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dessus 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Dessus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dessus, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and White (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dessus
The surname DESSUS is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "dessus," which translates to "above" or "on top." This suggests that the name may have originated from a physical description or a geographical location situated at a higher elevation.
In the early 13th century, records indicate the presence of the DESSUS name in the northern regions of France, particularly in the provinces of Normandy and Picardy. The earliest recorded spelling variations include "Dessus," "Desus," and "Desous."
Historical references to the DESSUS name can be found in various medieval manuscripts and charters. One notable mention is in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen" (Book of Burghers of Rouen), a register of citizens in the city of Rouen, Normandy, from the 14th century. The name "Jehan Dessus" appears in this document, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time.
The earliest recorded bearer of the DESSUS surname was Guillaume Dessus, born around 1280 in the village of Dessus-le-Bourg, near Amiens in Picardy. Another notable figure was Marguerite Dessus, a merchant from Rouen who lived in the late 15th century and was involved in the textile trade.
In the 16th century, the DESSUS name gained prominence with the birth of Pierre Dessus (1520-1588), a renowned French humanist scholar and philosopher. He authored several influential works on philosophy and rhetoric, and his teachings had a significant impact on the intellectual circles of his time.
Another historical figure bearing the DESSUS surname was Jacques Dessus (1635-1702), a French military engineer and architect. He was responsible for designing and constructing several fortifications and military structures during the reign of King Louis XIV.
In the 18th century, Marie-Françoise Dessus (1742-1810) was a notable figure in the French Revolution. She was a prominent activist and participated in the Women's March on Versailles, playing a role in the historic events that shaped the course of the revolution.
As the DESSUS name spread throughout France and beyond, it also gave rise to various place names and toponyms. For instance, the village of Dessus-le-Bourg in Picardy, mentioned earlier, likely derives its name from the surname itself, indicating the presence of a family or settlement bearing the DESSUS name in that location.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dessus
Among Census respondents with the surname Dessus, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and White (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dessus 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 Dessus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino47.4% · 54
- Black or African American39.5% · 45
- White7.0% · 8
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dessus
Dessus appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,267 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 Dessus 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 | #139,228 | #146,495 | -5.2% |
| Count | 120 | 114 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dessus bearers went from 120 to 114 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 7,267 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #146,495.
FAQ
Dessus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dessus?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Dessus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Dessus?
Dessus ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Dessus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Dessus.
Has Dessus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dessus went from 120 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Dessus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dessus, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and White (7.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dessus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.4% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dessus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (47.4%), Black (39.5%), White (7.0%). 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 Dessus (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 Dessus mean?
A French surname derived from the word "dessus" meaning "above" or "on top". 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 Dessus (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 common is the surname Dessus?
Find out how many people have the last name Dessus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.