2000
#49,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Demir
A Turkish surname meaning "iron" or "steel", potentially referring to an occupation involving metal work.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,173 Americans carry the last name Demir. That puts it at #25,327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 292,203 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demir 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 Demir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 292,203
Census rank
#25,327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,023 bearers of the surname Demir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demir, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demir
The surname DEMIR is of Turkish origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Turkish word "demir," which means "iron" or "steel." The name is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for blacksmiths or metalworkers.
In the early Ottoman Empire, which ruled over much of modern-day Turkey and the Balkans, skilled metalworkers were highly valued and often bore the name DEMIR as a signifier of their profession. The earliest recorded instances of the surname appear in Ottoman tax records and registry documents from the 14th and 15th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the DEMIR surname was Hacı Demir, a renowned blacksmith who lived in the city of Bursa during the reign of Sultan Murad II (1421-1451). Hacı Demir's metalwork was said to be of exceptional quality, and he was commissioned to forge weapons and armor for the Ottoman court.
Another notable figure was Mahmud Demir, a 16th-century Ottoman poet and calligrapher from the city of Edirne. His works, which include poetry collections and calligraphic manuscripts, are preserved in the collections of various libraries in Turkey and abroad.
During the 18th century, the DEMIR surname gained prominence in the Black Sea region of Turkey, particularly in the cities of Trabzon and Samsun. One influential family from this era was the Demir family of Trabzon, who were involved in maritime trade and shipping.
In more recent history, Hüseyin Rahmi Demir (1873-1945) was a renowned Turkish writer and journalist who is considered one of the pioneers of the Turkish short story genre. His works, which often explored social issues and captured the daily lives of ordinary people, were influential in shaping modern Turkish literature.
Another notable figure was Fevzi Demir (1912-1991), a Turkish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey from 1963 to 1965. He played a significant role in Turkey's foreign policy during the Cold War era.
Throughout history, the DEMIR surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, writers, and statesmen. While its origins can be traced back to the metalworking profession, the name has since transcended its occupational roots and become a widespread surname across Turkey and the Turkish diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demir
Among Census respondents with the surname Demir, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Demir 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 Demir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 925
- Two or more races4.6% · 47
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demir
Demir 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
#38,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 572
+172 bearers (+43.0%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 10,726 places
2020
#25,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,023
+451 bearers (+78.8%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 13,313 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,366 | 400 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,640 | 572 | 0.19 | +172 bearers (+43.0%) | Up 10,726 places |
| 2020 | #25,327 | 1,023 | 0.34 | +451 bearers (+78.8%) | Up 13,313 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 Demir 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 | #38,640 | #25,327 | 34.5% |
| Count | 572 | 1,023 | 78.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.34 | 80.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demir bearers went from 572 to 1,023 (+78.8% change). The surname moved up 13,313 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,640 to #25,327.
FAQ
Demir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demir?
Name Census estimates that about 1,173 living Americans carry the surname Demir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 292,203 residents.
How common is Demir?
Demir ranks #25,327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,023 people with the surname Demir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Demir.
Has Demir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demir went from 572 recorded bearers to 1,023. That is an increase of 451 (+78.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,640 to #25,327.
What does the Census say about the background of Demir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demir, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Demir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (925 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Demir (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 Demir mean?
A Turkish surname meaning "iron" or "steel", potentially referring to an occupation involving metal work. 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 Demir (0.34 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 Demir?
You can see how many people have the last name Demir on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.