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

Detjen, 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 Detjen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Detjen in America

Detjen is the 57781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Detjen surname appeared 352 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 Detjen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Detjen 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 Detjen

The surname DETJEN has its origins in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Mecklenburg and Schleswig-Holstein. It is believed to have emerged around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Low German word "dött," which means "thick" or "stout," and may have been used as a descriptive nickname for a person with a sturdy or robust build.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DETJEN can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Lübeck, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention a Hans DETJEN, born in 1587, and his family. The name also appears in various legal documents and property records from the region during the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, the DETJEN surname gained prominence with the birth of Johann Friedrich DETJEN (1799-1885), a renowned German-American artist and engraver. DETJEN was born in the town of Neustrelitz and later immigrated to the United States, where he became known for his intricate engravings and illustrations.

Another notable figure with the DETJEN surname was Otto DETJEN (1842-1913), a German-American businessman and philanthropist. Born in Schleswig-Holstein, DETJEN immigrated to the United States in the 1860s and founded the successful DETJEN Woolen Company in New York City. He later became a prominent benefactor, supporting various educational and charitable institutions.

The name DETJEN can also be traced back to the village of Detjenkarree in Mecklenburg, which was likely named after an early settler or landowner with the surname. This village is mentioned in historical records dating back to the 16th century, indicating the longstanding presence of the DETJEN name in the region.

Other notable individuals with the DETJEN surname include Friedrich DETJEN (1830-1901), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Chicago, and Heinrich DETJEN (1847-1920), a German-American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

While the DETJEN surname is not among the most common in Germany or other parts of the world, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, particularly in the arts, business, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Detjen

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!