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

Deters, 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 Deters surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deters in America

Deters is the 13278th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deters surname appeared 2,297 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Deters.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deters 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 Deters

The surname Deters is of German origin, and it is believed to have first emerged in the 14th century. The name is derived from the Middle Low German word "deter," meaning "the better one" or "the superior one." It was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered superior or better than others in a particular field or occupation.

The earliest recorded instances of the Deters surname can be found in various German record books and manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Hans Deters in the town records of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany, in the year 1482.

During the medieval period, the Deters name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia in northern Germany. In these areas, the name was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Deter," "Ditters," or "Detters," due to variations in local dialects and spelling conventions.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the Deters surname have made noteworthy contributions in various fields. One such individual was Johann Deters (1624-1697), a German composer and organist who was known for his sacred music compositions and served as the Kantor of the Marienkirche in Lübeck.

Another notable figure was Gottfried Deters (1795-1868), a German theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of hermeneutics, the study of interpretation and understanding.

In the 19th century, Heinrich Deters (1824-1892) was a prominent German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and played a role in the unification of Germany.

More recently, Hans Deters (1908-1977) was a German artist and painter known for his expressionist works and his association with the German Expressionist movement.

Lastly, Dieter Deters (born 1939) is a German mathematician and academic who has made significant contributions to the field of numerical analysis and scientific computing.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the Deters surname who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and diversity associated with this German surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deters

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

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

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

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