2000
#10,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,788
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Divine
Associated with someone who is godly, holy, or heavenly, or with a person who behaves divinely or righteously.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,323 Americans carry the last name Divine. That puts it at #10,559 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Divine 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 Divine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,146
Census rank
#10,559
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,898 bearers of the surname Divine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10559th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Divine, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Divine
The surname Divine has its origins in medieval England, deriving from the Old French word "devin," which means "divine" or "heavenly." The name likely emerged during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when many French words and names were introduced to the English language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Divine can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners commissioned by King Edward I. The name appears as "Dyvyn" in this document, indicating its French roots and the variation in spelling common during that time period.
During the late medieval period, the surname Divine may have been used as a descriptive name referring to a person's religious or spiritual inclinations, or perhaps as a nickname for someone who was exceptionally pious or virtuous. It's also possible that the name was initially bestowed upon someone who worked in a religious capacity, such as a priest or monk.
In the 16th century, the Divine surname can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset. One notable figure from this era was John Divine (c. 1545 - 1618), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Batheaston in Somerset.
Another prominent individual with the Divine surname was Sir William Divine (1590 - 1660), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Bath during the reign of King Charles I. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and was knighted by Charles I in 1643.
In the 18th century, the Divine name gained recognition through the work of Samuel Divine (1717 - 1785), an English engraver and printmaker known for his intricate illustrations of botanical subjects. His works were widely published and celebrated during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Divine (1826 - 1889) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the Victorian Gothic Revival style. Some of his most notable works include St. Mary's Church in Moseley, Birmingham, and the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution in London.
While the Divine surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. Today, it can be found among families of English descent in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Divine
Among Census respondents with the surname Divine, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Divine 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 Divine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 2,352
- Black or African American9.1% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 142
- Two or more races3.5% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Divine
Divine 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
#10,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,926
+138 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 333 places
2020
#10,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,898
-28 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 331 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,557 | 2,788 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,890 | 2,926 | 0.99 | +138 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 333 places |
| 2020 | #10,559 | 2,898 | 0.97 | -28 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 331 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 Divine 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 | #10,890 | #10,559 | 3.0% |
| Count | 2,926 | 2,898 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.97 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Divine bearers went from 2,926 to 2,898 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 331 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,890 to #10,559.
FAQ
Divine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Divine?
Name Census estimates that about 3,323 living Americans carry the surname Divine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,146 residents.
How common is Divine?
Divine ranks #10,559 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,898 people with the surname Divine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Divine.
Has Divine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Divine went from 2,926 recorded bearers to 2,898. That is a decrease of 28 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,890 to #10,559.
What does the Census say about the background of Divine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Divine, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Divine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (2,352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Divine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (9.1%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Divine (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 Divine mean?
Associated with someone who is godly, holy, or heavenly, or with a person who behaves divinely or righteously. 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 Divine (0.97 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 Divine?
Find out how many people have the last name Divine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.