Explore the Family Name Decorah
The meaning of Decorah
Americanized form of de Carrie, itself an altered form of French Decary, a variant of Cary 2, with fused preposition de ‘of’. It is found mainly among the Ho-Chunk (i.e. Winnebago) Native American people in WI. History: The progenitor of the Decorahs was a French soldier, Joseph Sabrevoir de Carrie, who in 1729 settled for a time among the Winnebagos on Doty Island, WI, and married an Indian woman, known in English as Glory of the Morning. Decorah, a city in IA, is named after one of their descendants, Waukon Decorah (c. 1780–1868), a chief of the Winnebago.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Decorah in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Decorah has significantly increased in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the Decorah surname was ranked 72,022nd most popular, while by 2010 it had climbed to the 63,873rd spot, showing an increase of 11.31% in its ranking. The count of individuals with this surname also rose from 252 in 2000 to 312 in 2010, marking a growth of 23.81%. This means that for every 100,000 people, approximately 0.09 had the surname Decorah in 2000, which slightly increased to 0.11 by 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #72,022 | #63,873 | 11.31% |
| Count | 252 | 312 | 23.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.11 | 22.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Decorah
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Decorah surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, it's clear that the majority identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native. In 2000, 69.44% of people with the Decorah surname identified as such, although this figure dipped slightly to 67.31% by 2010. The number of individuals identifying their ethnicity as being of two or more races increased by 14.92%, going from 10.32% in 2000 to 11.86% in 2010. There was a slight growth in the percentage of White individuals bearing this surname, from 15.48% in 2000 to 16.03% in 2010. Similarly, the Hispanic population with this surname saw a nominal rise from 4.37% to 4.49% within the same time period. However, there were no recorded instances of individuals with the Decorah surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 69.44% | 67.31% | -3.07% |
| White | 15.48% | 16.03% | 3.55% |
| Two or More Races | 10.32% | 11.86% | 14.92% |
| Hispanic | 4.37% | 4.49% | 2.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |