Detray last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Detray

A French surname possibly deriving from "de la traie" meaning "from the path" or "of the path".

Detray, 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 Detray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Detray in America

Detray is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Detray surname appeared 211 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 Detray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Detray 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 88020 97848 -10.58%
Count 211 172 20.37%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.06 15.38%

The history of the last name Detray

The surname DETRAY is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "detrait," which means "archer" or "bowman." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was skilled in archery or worked as a professional bowman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DETRAY name can be found in the historical records of the Normandy region of France, where a family with this surname lived in the 13th century. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Detrait" or "Detreit," reflecting the spelling variations common in medieval times.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean DETRAY (c. 1320-1385) was documented as a skilled archer who served in the military under the French King Charles V. Jean was renowned for his exceptional marksmanship and is mentioned in several chronicles from that era.

Another notable individual with the DETRAY surname was Pierre DETRAY (c. 1450-1515), a French merchant and landowner who lived in the region of Burgundy. He is recorded in local archives as having acquired significant wealth and properties through his successful business ventures.

The DETRAY name also appears in historical records from the Île-de-France region, where a family bearing this surname resided in the town of Meaux during the 16th century. One member of this family, Jacques DETRAY (c. 1530-1602), was a respected artisan and craftsman who specialized in creating intricate wood carvings for churches and noble residences.

In the 17th century, the DETRAY surname is found in the records of the city of Lyon, where a prominent figure named Marie DETRAY (c. 1625-1695) was a wealthy merchant and landowner. She is noted for her philanthropic efforts, having donated a significant portion of her fortune to establish a hospital and orphanage in the city.

Over the centuries, the DETRAY surname has spread across various regions of France and beyond, with descendants carrying on the name's legacy. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation, its historical roots can be traced back to the skilled archers and bowmen of medieval France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Detray

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

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 Detray was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.94% 194
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.37% 5
Hispanic Origin 5.21% 11

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 Detray has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.94% 95.35% -3.64%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 2.37% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 5.21% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Detray last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/detray-surname-popularity/.

"Detray last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/detray-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 July, 2025

Detray last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/detray-surname-popularity/.

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