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

Deter, 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 Deter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deter in America

Deter is the 36154th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deter surname appeared 620 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 Deter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deter 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 Deter

The surname Deter is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "detære" or "dettære," which means "interpreter" or "translator." This name first emerged in the 13th century, likely referring to individuals who worked as interpreters or translators, facilitating communication between different linguistic groups.

In the late medieval period, the Deter surname appeared in various regions of present-day Germany, particularly in the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Würzburg Episcopal Registers from the year 1301, where a certain "Henricus dictus Deter" is mentioned.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Deter name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. In the town of Schmalkalden, located in the state of Thuringia, a notable family by the name of Deter is documented in the local church records dating back to the late 16th century.

The Deter surname has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One noteworthy figure was Johann Deter (1545-1618), a German Lutheran theologian and educator who served as the rector of the prestigious Pädagogium in Gera, a renowned school in the Electorate of Saxony.

Another individual of historical significance was Georg Deter (1670-1745), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Electorate of Saxony-Gotha. His compositions, primarily for organ and harpsichord, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the development of Baroque music in central Germany.

In the 19th century, the Deter surname gained recognition through the work of Karl Deter (1812-1885), a German painter and etcher known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from the Black Forest region and the Rhine Valley. His works are currently held in several prestigious art museums across Germany.

The name Deter has also been associated with notable figures in the field of science. One such individual was Gustav Deter (1875-1942), a German physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the study of radioactivity and the development of X-ray technology.

While the surname Deter originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, it remains most prevalent in Germany and among German-speaking populations in neighboring countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deter

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

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

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

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