2000
#72,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 251
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Demme
A nickname or occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "demme" meaning a barrier, dam or dike.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 247 Americans carry the last name Demme. That puts it at #91,884 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,387,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demme 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
247
1 in 1,387,669
Census rank
#91,884
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
215
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 215 bearers of the surname Demme in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 91884th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demme, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demme
The surname Demme originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "tëme," meaning "quiet" or "tame." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname referring to someone with a calm or gentle demeanor.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Demme, a farmer from the village of Kirchheim in Württemberg, who was mentioned in local records from the late 1500s. Another early record mentions a Johann Demme, a shoemaker from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, who lived in the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in various German church registers and census records, with variations such as Demme, Demmert, and Demmler. Some of these records may have been referring to families who had migrated from one region to another within Germany.
One notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Demme, a German physician who lived from 1833 to 1898. He made significant contributions to the field of pediatrics and is credited with introducing the term "pediatrics" to the German medical community.
Another historical figure was Carl Demme, a German gymnast and athlete who competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. He participated in several gymnastics events and won a bronze medal in the parallel bars competition.
In the 20th century, the name gained some recognition in the entertainment industry with the American film director Ted Demme, who was born in 1963 and tragically passed away in 2002. He directed several successful films, including the cult classic "Blow" starring Johnny Depp.
Additionally, there was Ernst Demme, a German World War II veteran and author, who wrote several books recounting his experiences as a soldier on the Eastern Front. He lived from 1920 to 2008.
While the surname Demme is not exceptionally common, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its Germanic roots, with various notable bearers contributing to fields such as medicine, athletics, and the arts over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demme
Among Census respondents with the surname Demme, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Demme 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 Demme surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 9
- Black or African American1.9% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demme
Demme 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
#77,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
-5 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,551 places
2020
#91,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
-31 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 14,096 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,237 | 251 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,788 | 246 | 0.08 | -5 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 5,551 places |
| 2020 | #91,884 | 215 | 0.07 | -31 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 14,096 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 Demme 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 | #77,788 | #91,884 | -18.1% |
| Count | 246 | 215 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demme bearers went from 246 to 215 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 14,096 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,788 to #91,884.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Demme
FAQ
Demme surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demme?
Name Census estimates that about 247 living Americans carry the surname Demme. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,387,669 residents.
How common is Demme?
Demme ranks #91,884 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 215 people with the surname Demme. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (247), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Demme.
Has Demme become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demme went from 246 recorded bearers to 215. That is a decrease of 31 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #77,788 to #91,884.
What does the Census say about the background of Demme?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demme, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Demme in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (200 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demme appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (1.9%). 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 Demme (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 Demme mean?
A nickname or occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "demme" meaning a barrier, dam or dike. 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 Demme (0.07 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 have the surname Demme?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.