2000
#3,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,728
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.24
Uncommon Last name
Deutsch
A German and Jewish surname referring to someone from Germany or a German-speaking region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,705 Americans carry the last name Deutsch. That puts it at #3,698 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,018 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deutsch 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Deutsch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,018
Census rank
#3,698
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,335 bearers of the surname Deutsch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3698th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deutsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deutsch
The surname "DEUTSCH" originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, deriving from the German word "deutsch," meaning "German" or "of German origin." This name was likely adopted as a distinguishing surname to indicate one's ethnic background or nationality.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "DEUTSCH" can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It was often spelled in several variations, such as "Dytsche," "Teutsch," or "Teutsch."
One notable historical reference to the name "DEUTSCH" can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of documents from the 13th century, which mentions individuals with this surname residing in the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
Among the earliest known bearers of the surname "DEUTSCH" was Hans Deutsch, a merchant and burgher who lived in Nuremberg during the 15th century (c. 1420-1490). Another prominent figure was Johann Deutsch, a German humanist scholar and professor at the University of Vienna in the late 15th century (c. 1450-1520).
In the 16th century, the name "DEUTSCH" gained recognition through the works of the German artist and printmaker Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), whose mother's maiden name was Deutsch. His famous self-portraits and woodcuts were often signed with the surname "DEUTSCH."
Another notable bearer of the surname was Johann Deutsch von der Pfalz (1570-1632), a German nobleman and military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War. He was known for his defense of the city of Ingolstadt against Swedish forces.
During the 17th century, the surname "DEUTSCH" was also associated with the German theologian and philosopher Johann Michael Deutsch (1624-1719), who was a prominent figure in the Lutheran church and a professor at the University of Leipzig.
As the surname "DEUTSCH" spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it became associated with various place names and locations, such as Deutsch-Wagram in Austria and Deutsch-Krone in present-day Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deutsch
Among Census respondents with the surname Deutsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Deutsch 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 Deutsch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 8,782
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 250
- Two or more races1.9% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 67
- Black or African American0.5% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deutsch
Deutsch 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
#3,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,361
+633 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 3.17
Rank movement Down 50 places
2020
#3,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,335
-26 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Up 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,732 | 8,728 | 3.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,782 | 9,361 | 3.17 | +633 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 50 places |
| 2020 | #3,698 | 9,335 | 3.12 | -26 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 84 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 Deutsch 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 | #3,782 | #3,698 | 2.2% |
| Count | 9,361 | 9,335 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.17 | 3.12 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deutsch bearers went from 9,361 to 9,335 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,782 to #3,698.
FAQ
Deutsch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deutsch?
Name Census estimates that about 10,705 living Americans carry the surname Deutsch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,018 residents.
How common is Deutsch?
Deutsch ranks #3,698 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,335 people with the surname Deutsch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,705), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Deutsch.
Has Deutsch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deutsch went from 9,361 recorded bearers to 9,335. That is a decrease of 26 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,782 to #3,698.
What does the Census say about the background of Deutsch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deutsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Deutsch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (8,782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deutsch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Deutsch (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 Deutsch mean?
A German and Jewish surname referring to someone from Germany or a German-speaking region. 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 Deutsch (3.12 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 Deutsch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.