Explore the Family Name De Beer

The meaning of De Beer

1. Dutch; Flemish (also Debeer): nickname for someone thought to resemble a bear or a boar, from Dutch beer ‘bear, boar’ + the definite article de, or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a bear, named for instance In de Berendans (‘In the Dancing Bear’). The surname De Beer is also established in South Africa. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic, from the Netherlands): variant of Ber, influenced by Dutch de beer ‘the bear’ (compare 1). Some characteristic forenames: Dutch Gerrit, Harm, Thys. German Hans, Otto. French Jacques.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name De Beer in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'De Beer' has increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, 'De Beer' was ranked as the 54,522nd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to become the 47,966th most popular, marking an increase in rank by over 12%. The number of people with this surname also grew during this period, from 354 in 2000 to 441 in 2010. This represents a significant increase of approximately 24.58% in the population of individuals bearing the 'De Beer' surname.

20002010Change
Rank#54,522#47,96612.02%
Count35444124.58%
Proportion per 100k0.130.1515.38%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name De Beer

The ethnicity distribution of the 'De Beer' surname has also seen some changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, a majority of individuals identified as White made up 93.79% of the 'De Beer' surname population, while those identifying with two or more races accounted for 3.67%. By 2010, the proportion of individuals identifying as White had risen to 97.28%, while the percentage of those identifying with two or more races fell to zero. Additionally, in 2010, individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander made up 1.36% of the 'De Beer' surname population. No data was available for other ethnic identities such as Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White93.79%97.28%3.72%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%1.36%0%
Two or More Races3.67%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%