Detrick last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Detrick

Derived from a Low German place name meaning "people's ruler" or "mighty ruler of the people."

Detrick, 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 Detrick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Detrick in America

Detrick is the 12022nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Detrick surname appeared 2,597 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 Detrick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Detrick 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 12022 11832 1.59%
Count 2,597 2,425 6.85%
Proportion per 100k 0.88 0.90 -2.25%

The history of the last name Detrick

The surname Detrick has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German words "diet" meaning people and "richen" meaning powerful or rich, suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who held a position of authority or wealth among their community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Detrick name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where it is spelled as "Dietrichen." This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet established.

In the 14th century, the Detrick surname appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, the name was also associated with several place names, such as Dietrichshausen and Dietrichsdorf, which further solidified its German roots.

One notable historical figure bearing the Detrick surname was Johann Detrick, a German military leader who served under Emperor Charles V during the 16th century. He was renowned for his strategic prowess and played a significant role in several battles during the Schmalkaldic War.

Another prominent individual with the Detrick name was Philipp Detrick (1545-1612), a German theologian and reformer who was involved in the Protestant Reformation. He authored several influential theological works and was a respected figure in the Lutheran church.

In the 17th century, the Detrick family expanded its reach beyond Germany, with some members migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Hans Detrick (1620-1698), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania, USA, and became one of the earliest Detrick families in the New World.

As the Detrick name spread across different regions, various spelling variations emerged, including Dittrich, Dietrich, and Diedrich. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic adaptations.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Detrick (1779-1856), a German-American artist and engraver who is renowned for his intricate engravings and illustrations. His work was highly regarded during his lifetime and can be found in various museums and collections.

Throughout the centuries, the Detrick surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, scholars, military leaders, and religious figures, leaving an indelible mark on history across multiple disciplines and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Detrick

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

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 Detrick was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.69% 2,433
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.54% 40
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.39% 10
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.39% 10
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.66% 43
Hispanic Origin 2.35% 61

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.69% 94.39% -0.74%
Black 1.54% 1.44% 6.71%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.39% 0.45% -14.29%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.39% 0.66% -51.43%
Two or More Races 1.66% 1.15% 36.30%
Hispanic 2.35% 1.90% 21.18%

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

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

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"Detrick last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/detrick-surname-popularity/.

"Detrick last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/detrick-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

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

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