2000
#59,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 318
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Dewaal
A Dutch surname derived from the word "waal" meaning "wall" or "rampart".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 492 Americans carry the last name Dewaal. That puts it at #52,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 696,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dewaal 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
492
1 in 696,655
Census rank
#52,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
429
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 429 bearers of the surname Dewaal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dewaal, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dewaal
The surname DEWAAL has its origins in the Low Countries of Western Europe, specifically in the regions of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It emerged during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century.
The name DEWAAL is believed to derive from the Dutch word "wal," which refers to a rampart, dike, or embankment. The prefix "de" denotes "the" or "from," indicating that the surname may have originated from an individual who lived near or worked on such fortifications.
Early records show variations in spelling, including DeWaal, De Waal, and DeWael, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the Low Countries at the time. These variations often depended on regional dialects and scribal conventions.
One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the Guelders Charters, a collection of legal documents from the Duchy of Guelders, dated around the late 13th century. Instances of the name DEWAAL appear in various municipal records and tax rolls throughout the 14th and 15th centuries in cities like Antwerp, Ghent, and Utrecht.
Notable individuals bearing the surname DEWAAL include Jan DeWaal (1537-1615), a renowned Dutch painter and engraver whose works were highly sought after during the Dutch Golden Age. Another prominent figure was Willem DeWaal (1629-1696), a Dutch statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1690 to 1696.
In the realm of literature, Hendrik DeWaal (1787-1856) was a Dutch poet and translator whose works contributed significantly to the Dutch Romantic movement. Additionally, Cornelis DeWaal (1823-1877) was a respected Dutch historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of the Netherlands.
The DEWAAL surname also found its way into other European countries. In France, for instance, records from the 16th century mention Jacques DeWaal (1530-1597), a Flemish-born painter and sculptor who worked extensively in the French court during the Renaissance.
While the surname DEWAAL has its roots in the Low Countries, it has since spread across the globe, carried by migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins firmly lie in the medieval fortifications and defensive structures that once dotted the landscapes of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dewaal
Among Census respondents with the surname Dewaal, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dewaal 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 Dewaal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 365
- Two or more races8.2% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 17
- Black or African American1.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dewaal
Dewaal 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
#53,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 384
+66 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 5,651 places
2020
#52,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 429
+45 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 1,539 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,453 | 318 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,802 | 384 | 0.13 | +66 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 5,651 places |
| 2020 | #52,263 | 429 | 0.14 | +45 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 1,539 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 Dewaal 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 | #53,802 | #52,263 | 2.9% |
| Count | 384 | 429 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dewaal bearers went from 384 to 429 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 1,539 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,802 to #52,263.
FAQ
Dewaal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dewaal?
Name Census estimates that about 492 living Americans carry the surname Dewaal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 696,655 residents.
How common is Dewaal?
Dewaal ranks #52,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 429 people with the surname Dewaal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (492), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dewaal.
Has Dewaal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dewaal went from 384 recorded bearers to 429. That is an increase of 45 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,802 to #52,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Dewaal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dewaal, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Dewaal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (365 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dewaal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Two or More Races (8.2%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Dewaal (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 Dewaal mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the word "waal" meaning "wall" or "rampart". 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 Dewaal (0.14 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 Dewaal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.