2000
#11,832
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,425
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Detrick
Derived from a Low German place name meaning "people's ruler" or "mighty ruler of the people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,683 Americans carry the last name Detrick. That puts it at #12,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,750 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Detrick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 127,750
Census rank
#12,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,340 bearers of the surname Detrick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Detrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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One of the earliest recorded instances of the Detrick name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where it is spelled as "Dietrichen."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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Detrick
Among Census respondents with the surname Detrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Detrick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Detrick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 2,115
- Two or more races3.8% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 85
- Black or African American1.6% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Detrick
Detrick appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,597
+172 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 190 places
2020
#12,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,340
-257 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 584 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,832 | 2,425 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,022 | 2,597 | 0.88 | +172 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 190 places |
| 2020 | #12,606 | 2,340 | 0.78 | -257 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 584 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Detrick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,022 | #12,606 | -4.9% |
| Count | 2,597 | 2,340 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.78 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Detrick bearers went from 2,597 to 2,340 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 584 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,022 to #12,606.
FAQ
Detrick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Detrick?
Name Census estimates that about 2,683 living Americans carry the surname Detrick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,750 residents.
How common is Detrick?
Detrick ranks #12,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,340 people with the surname Detrick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,683), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Detrick.
Has Detrick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Detrick went from 2,597 recorded bearers to 2,340. That is a decrease of 257 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,022 to #12,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Detrick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Detrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Detrick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Detrick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Detrick (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Detrick mean?
Derived from a Low German place name meaning "people's ruler" or "mighty ruler of the people." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Detrick (0.78 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Detrick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.