2000
#5,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,347
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.98
Rare Last name
Dever
Derived from the Old French "deveir" or "dever," meaning duty, responsibility, or that which one must do.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,636 Americans carry the last name Dever. That puts it at #6,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,815 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dever 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 Dever with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 60,815
Census rank
#6,612
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,915 bearers of the surname Dever in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dever, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dever
The surname Dever is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "deor," which means "deer," and likely referred to someone who lived near a deer park or forest. The name is also thought to be related to the Old English word "deor-frith," meaning "deer enclosure."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dever can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Deuere." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landholdings in England and provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de la Dever" and "atte Dever," indicating its association with a particular location or place name. These variations suggest that the name may have originated from a place called Dever, although the exact location is uncertain.
One notable individual with the surname Dever was Sir John Dever, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in 1449.
Another historically significant figure was Thomas Dever, born in 1602, who was a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts. He played a crucial role in the early settlement of New England and the establishment of religious institutions in the colonies.
In the 18th century, William Dever (1720-1789) was a prominent merchant and shipping magnate in Bristol, England. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and was known for his philanthropic endeavors, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children.
During the Victorian era, John Dever (1823-1891) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Holborn Town Hall and the Royal Albion Hotel.
In the 20th century, William G. Dever (1933-2020) was a renowned American archaeologist and scholar who made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient Israelite history and culture through his excavations and research in the Middle East.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Dever who have left their mark on history, demonstrating the rich and varied origins of this name and its representation across various fields and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dever
Among Census respondents with the surname Dever, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dever 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 Dever surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 4,266
- Black or African American4.9% · 243
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 232
- Two or more races2.8% · 139
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dever
Dever 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
#6,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,549
+202 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Down 239 places
2020
#6,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,915
-634 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,928 | 5,347 | 1.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,167 | 5,549 | 1.88 | +202 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 239 places |
| 2020 | #6,612 | 4,915 | 1.64 | -634 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 445 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 Dever 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 | #6,167 | #6,612 | -7.2% |
| Count | 5,549 | 4,915 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.88 | 1.64 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dever bearers went from 5,549 to 4,915 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 445 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,167 to #6,612.
FAQ
Dever surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dever?
Name Census estimates that about 5,636 living Americans carry the surname Dever. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,815 residents.
How common is Dever?
Dever ranks #6,612 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.64 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 4,915 people with the surname Dever. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.64 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 Dever.
Has Dever become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dever went from 5,549 recorded bearers to 4,915. That is a decrease of 634 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,167 to #6,612.
What does the Census say about the background of Dever?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dever, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Dever in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (4,266 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dever appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (4.9%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Dever (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 Dever mean?
Derived from the Old French "deveir" or "dever," meaning duty, responsibility, or that which one must do. 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 Dever (1.64 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 Dever?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.