2000
#1,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,448
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.43
Uncommon Last name
Dewitt
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a white field, meadow, or pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,682 Americans carry the last name Dewitt. That puts it at #1,392 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,950 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dewitt 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 Dewitt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,950
Census rank
#1,392
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,012 bearers of the surname Dewitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1392nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dewitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dewitt
The surname DEWITT originated in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch words "de" meaning "the" and "Witt" meaning "white". The name likely referred to someone with white or fair hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEWITT surname dates back to the 13th century in Amsterdam. It appeared in municipal records and property deeds of the time, sometimes spelled as "de Witte" or "de Wit". Many of the earliest bearers of this name were from the provinces of North and South Holland.
In the 16th century, the DEWITT name gained prominence with Cornelis de Witt (1623-1672), a renowned Dutch statesman and Grand Pensionary of Holland. He played a crucial role in the Dutch Golden Age and the Anglo-Dutch Wars against England.
Another notable historical figure was Johan de Witt (1625-1692), the younger brother of Cornelis. He was a highly influential Dutch politician who served as the Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1653 to 1672. Both brothers were tragically lynched by an angry mob in The Hague in 1672.
In the 17th century, the DEWITT surname also appeared in English records, likely due to Dutch immigration and trade connections with Britain. One early bearer was Emanuel de Witt (1617-1692), a Dutch-born merchant and landowner who settled in London.
During the American Colonial era, several individuals with the DEWITT surname made their mark. Simeon DeWitt (1756-1834) was a prominent surveyor and cartographer who served as the Surveyor General of the Continental Army under George Washington.
Another notable figure was Jacob DeWitt (1784-1843), a lawyer and politician from New York who served as a U.S. Senator and Mayor of New York City. He was also a member of the influential DeWitt family of New York, which included several prominent politicians and landowners.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dewitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Dewitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dewitt 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 Dewitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 21,277
- Black or African American6.4% · 1,600
- Two or more races3.8% · 962
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 844
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 187
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 142
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dewitt
Dewitt 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
#1,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,348
+900 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 8.93
Rank movement Down 70 places
2020
#1,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,012
-1,336 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 8.37
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,268 | 25,448 | 9.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,338 | 26,348 | 8.93 | +900 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 70 places |
| 2020 | #1,392 | 25,012 | 8.37 | -1,336 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 54 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 Dewitt 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 | #1,338 | #1,392 | -4.0% |
| Count | 26,348 | 25,012 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 8.93 | 8.37 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dewitt bearers went from 26,348 to 25,012 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,338 to #1,392.
FAQ
Dewitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dewitt?
Name Census estimates that about 28,682 living Americans carry the surname Dewitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,950 residents.
How common is Dewitt?
Dewitt ranks #1,392 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,012 people with the surname Dewitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,682), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Dewitt.
Has Dewitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dewitt went from 26,348 recorded bearers to 25,012. That is a decrease of 1,336 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,338 to #1,392.
What does the Census say about the background of Dewitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dewitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Dewitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (21,277 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dewitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Black (6.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Dewitt (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 Dewitt mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a white field, meadow, or pasture. 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 Dewitt (8.37 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 are called Dewitt?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Dewitt, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.