Dimitri last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Dimitri is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dimitri.

Meaning of Dimitri

A Greek surname derived from the name Demetrius, meaning "follower of Demeter" (the Greek goddess of agriculture).

Dimitri, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dimitri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dimitri in America

Dimitri is the 33894th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dimitri surname appeared 671 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dimitri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dimitri to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 33894 36672 -7.87%
Count 671 575 15.41%
Proportion per 100k 0.23 0.21 9.09%

The history of the last name Dimitri

The surname Dimitri has its origins in Greece, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the Byzantine Empire in the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Greek name Demetrios, which is believed to have been derived from the name of the Greek goddess Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility.

The name Demetrios was a popular name among the Greeks and was often used as a personal name during the Byzantine period. It is likely that the surname Dimitri emerged as a patronymic, meaning "son of Demetrios." This was a common practice in ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire, where surnames were often derived from the father's name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dimitri can be found in a manuscript from the 10th century AD, which mentions a certain "Dimitri Constantinou" as a landowner in the region of Thessaly. This suggests that the surname was in use among the Greek aristocracy and landowners during this time.

In the centuries that followed, the surname Dimitri continued to be associated with various prominent families and individuals in Greece and the broader Eastern Mediterranean region. For example, a certain Petros Dimitri was a noted scholar and theologian who lived in the 13th century and wrote extensively on issues related to the Orthodox Church.

During the Ottoman period, which began in the 15th century and lasted until the early 20th century, the surname Dimitri remained prevalent among the Greek population living within the Ottoman Empire. One notable figure from this era was Konstantinos Dimitri, a Greek merchant and diplomat who lived in the 16th century and played a crucial role in facilitating trade between the Ottoman Empire and various European countries.

In more recent history, several individuals with the surname Dimitri have achieved recognition in various fields. One such person was Georgios Dimitri, a Greek politician and diplomat who lived from 1833 to 1904 and served as the Prime Minister of Greece in the late 19th century.

Another notable figure was Eleni Dimitri, a Greek actress and singer who was born in 1928 and became a major star of the Greek cinema during the mid-20th century. Her performances in numerous films and stage productions earned her widespread acclaim both in Greece and abroad.

Overall, the surname Dimitri has a rich and long-standing history that can be traced back to ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire. It has been associated with various notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting the enduring cultural and historical significance of this name within the Greek tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dimitri

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dimitri.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dimitri was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.40% 620
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.38% 16
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.75% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.64% 11
Hispanic Origin 2.83% 19

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dimitri has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.40% 92.70% -0.32%
Black 2.38% 1.74% 31.07%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.75% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.64% 2.96% -57.39%
Hispanic 2.83% 1.91% 38.82%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dimitri was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dimitri, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Dimitri last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 30, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/dimitri-surname-popularity/.

"Dimitri last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/dimitri-surname-popularity/. Accessed 30 April, 2025

Dimitri last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/dimitri-surname-popularity/.

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