2000
#6,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,767
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.77
Rare Last name
Detwiler
A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived near a body of water, such as a pond.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,388 Americans carry the last name Detwiler. That puts it at #6,888 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,614 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Detwiler 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
5.4K
1 in 63,614
Census rank
#6,888
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,699 bearers of the surname Detwiler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6888th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Detwiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Detwiler
The surname Detwiler has its origins in Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "dett" and "will," which together mean "the will of the people" or "people's desire."
One of the earliest known references to the name Detwiler can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 14th century, where it appears as "Dettwiller." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the 16th century, the name Detwiler began to spread beyond its origins in southern Germany. In 1532, a record from the town of Strasbourg mentions a certain Hans Detwiler, a merchant and landowner. Around the same time, the name also appears in various church records and tax rolls in neighboring areas.
The 17th century saw the emergence of notable individuals bearing the Detwiler surname. One such person was Johann Detwiler (1621-1694), a renowned theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Nuremberg. Another was Peter Detwiler (1638-1712), a prominent politician and diplomat who represented the Holy Roman Empire in several important negotiations.
As the centuries progressed, the Detwiler name continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, where they became known as "Dettwiler." One notable Swiss Dettwiler was Johann Jakob Dettwiler (1758-1832), a renowned artist and engraver whose works can be found in museums across Europe.
The 19th century saw the arrival of the Detwiler name in North America, as many German immigrants sought new opportunities in the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded Detwilers in America was Jacob Detwiler (1789-1867), a farmer and landowner who settled in Pennsylvania.
Throughout history, the Detwiler surname has been associated with a diverse range of professions and achievements. From academics and artists to politicians and entrepreneurs, individuals bearing this name have made their mark across various fields. Some other notable Detwilers include Michael Detwiler (1808-1880), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Ohio, and Albert Detwiler (1879-1958), a noted American architect and designer.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Detwiler
Among Census respondents with the surname Detwiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Detwiler 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 Detwiler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 4,324
- Two or more races3.1% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 144
- Black or African American0.9% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Detwiler
Detwiler 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
#6,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,849
+82 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 363 places
2020
#6,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,699
-150 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,555 | 4,767 | 1.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,918 | 4,849 | 1.64 | +82 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 363 places |
| 2020 | #6,888 | 4,699 | 1.57 | -150 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 30 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 Detwiler 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 | #6,918 | #6,888 | 0.4% |
| Count | 4,849 | 4,699 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.57 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Detwiler bearers went from 4,849 to 4,699 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,918 to #6,888.
FAQ
Detwiler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Detwiler?
Name Census estimates that about 5,388 living Americans carry the surname Detwiler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,614 residents.
How common is Detwiler?
Detwiler ranks #6,888 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,699 people with the surname Detwiler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Detwiler.
Has Detwiler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Detwiler went from 4,849 recorded bearers to 4,699. That is a decrease of 150 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,918 to #6,888.
What does the Census say about the background of Detwiler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Detwiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Detwiler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Detwiler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Detwiler (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 Detwiler mean?
A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived near a body of water, such as a pond. 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 Detwiler (1.57 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 people share the surname Detwiler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.