2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Indest
An unusual surname possibly derived from a French place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Indest. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Indest 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Indest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Indest, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Indest
The surname INDEST is of French origin, originating in the region of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "indeste," meaning "not gentle" or "unruly." The name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a rough or unrefined demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name INDEST can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early record suggests that the name may have been brought to England by Norman settlers in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Robert INDEST was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire, a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer. Robert INDEST was likely a landowner or taxpayer of some significance at the time.
During the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir William INDEST, a knight who fought alongside Edward III in the Hundred Years' War against France. Sir William INDEST was recorded as participating in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
In the 16th century, the INDEST name was found in various records from the county of Sussex in southern England. One such record mentions a Thomas INDEST, born in 1525, who was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the village of Lindfield.
Another notable figure from this period was Elizabeth INDEST, born in 1570, who was a renowned herbalist and healer in the city of London. Her writings on medicinal plants and natural remedies were widely circulated and greatly influenced the practice of herbal medicine during the Renaissance.
Over the centuries, variations of the INDEST name emerged, such as INDESTE, INDESTE, and INDESTE, reflecting regional dialects and spelling variations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained consistent throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Indest
Among Census respondents with the surname Indest, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Indest 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 Indest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 9
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Indest
Indest appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,569 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 Indest 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 | #157,234 | #148,665 | 5.4% |
| Count | 103 | 111 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Indest bearers went from 103 to 111 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #148,665.
FAQ
Indest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Indest?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Indest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Indest?
Indest ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Indest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Indest.
Has Indest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Indest went from 103 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Indest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Indest, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Indest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Indest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (8.1%), Black (1.8%). 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 Indest (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 Indest mean?
An unusual surname possibly derived from a French place name or occupation. 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 Indest (0.04 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 Indest?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Indest? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.