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

Dethlefs, 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 Dethlefs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dethlefs in America

Dethlefs is the 50467th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dethlefs surname appeared 414 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 Dethlefs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dethlefs 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 Dethlefs

The surname Dethlefs originated in northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the Low German or Low Saxon words "Dethel" or "Detlef," which were personal names or given names at the time, combined with the patronymic suffix "-s," indicating "son of."

The name Dethel or Detlef is thought to be a combination of the Old Norse or Old German elements "deud" or "diut," meaning "people" or "nation," and "lef" or "lev," meaning "remnant" or "descendant." Thus, the name Dethlefs likely referred to the son of a man named Dethel or Detlef, whose name meant something akin to "remnant of the people" or "descendant of the nation."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Dethlefs can be found in the Schleswig-Holstein regional archives, where a man named Hinrick Dethlefs is listed as a resident of the village of Hohenwestedt in the year 1524. Another early reference is a record from 1598 that mentions a Claus Dethlefs, a farmer from the town of Wilster.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Dethlefs was Johann Dethlefs, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who lived from 1605 to 1667. He served as a minister in the town of Itzehoe and wrote several religious texts and commentaries.

The 19th century saw the birth of Friedrich Dethlefs, a German writer and journalist who lived from 1818 to 1892. He was known for his works on local history and folklore, particularly related to the regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

Another notable bearer of the name was Carl Dethlefs, a German naval officer and explorer who lived from 1866 to 1944. He led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and wrote extensively about his experiences and discoveries.

In more recent times, Gerd Dethlefs, a German actor and director born in 1932, gained recognition for his work in theater and television productions in the latter half of the 20th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Dethlefs has maintained its roots in northern Germany, particularly in the regions where it originated. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through migration, its origins can be traced back to the Low German-speaking areas of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony in the late medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dethlefs

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

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

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

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