The Dee surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,275 people carried this name — #5,535 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 46,900 people counted. That is up 2% from 6,144 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dee surname

A surname of multiple origins.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dee» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘by the Dee’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 235 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 16 births for the Dee name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 700 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Waterford, Cork, and Tipperary.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 14
Connacht 1
Leinster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 39 people named Dee.

2 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 12 départements, most often Somme.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 2
Somme 11
Seine-Saint-Denis 6
Pas-de-Calais 6
Aisne 2
Val-de-Marne 2
Paris 2
Saône-et-Loire 2
Ardèche 2

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

26 people named Dee live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 7
Vaud 6
Geneva 5
Aargau 4
Bern 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dee was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Worcestershire: 14 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 714. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Worcestershire 14
Lincolnshire 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Dee was counted together with Dees: 39 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 215 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Dees, Deas, Dee, Deess, Deis. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

South Carolina 15
North Carolina 11
Connecticut 4
Pennsylvania 3
New York 2
Vermont 1
Massachusetts 1
Rhode Island 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 236 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dee in American newspapers,
1903–1926.

Newspaper page from Macon Beacon carrying the name Dee
Macon Beacon 1912-05-10
Newspaper page from Belington Progressive carrying the name Dee
Belington Progressive 1926-10-07
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Dee
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1903-07-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,701 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dee in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

15,852 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dee. The most, 2,927, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,823
Victoria 4,308
Queensland 2,688
South Australia 1,398
Western Australia 744
Tasmania 546
ACT (Canberra) 214
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dee.

Who carried it

People named Dee,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Dee
    John Dee 1527–1609 · astronomer
  • Deborah Charlotte Dee
    Deborah Charlotte Dee 1756–1813
  • Deborah Charlotte Dee
    Deborah Charlotte Dee 1756–1813
  • John Henry Dee
    John Henry Dee 1842–1904 · politician
  • Arthur Dee 1579–1651 · writer
  • Duncan Dee 1657–1720 · lawyer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dee,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,293 records

1,293 records of the Dee name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 416
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 342
  • Other U.S. records 535
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Kenneth Samuel Dee

    Born 1947; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, infantry unit commander; killed in action 1970 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joseph F. Dee

    Born 1901 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; shipping clerk from New York County. U.S. Army veteran; died 1961, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Alda Dee

    Arrived at New York in 1897 aboard the Furnessia from Glasgow, aged 19; seamstress. From Holland, the Netherlands; bound for Utah.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,293 records for Dee in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands799 records

799 records of the Dee name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 454
  • Dutch population registers 297
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 48
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johannes Dee

    Married in 1874 in Den Helder; shoemaker. Died 1912 in Den Helder, aged 63.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elisabeth Hendrika Dee

    Married in 1937 in De Bilt. Died 1964 in Utrecht, aged 56.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hillegonda Catharina Dee

    Married in 1888 in Rotterdam. Died 1923 in Rotterdam, aged 56.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 799 records for Dee in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia327 records

327 records of the Dee name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 135
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 68
  • Other Australian records 124
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Dee

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Aboukir, sailing from London in 1851. Native of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854. Married 1854 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Dee

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Ellen Stuart, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margaret Dee

    Gentlewoman of Warragul, Victoria; died 1938.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 327 records for Dee in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada168 records

168 records of the Dee name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 153
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 5
  • Other Canadian records 10
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas Dee

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for Bracebridge, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Martha Dee

    Buried in 1949 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 68.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Michael Dee

    Died 1915 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 168 records for Dee in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany39 records

39 records of the Dee name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 38
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Dee

    Born 1890; from Eckwarden, Butjadingen. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 14 December 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record August Dee

    Emigrated to North America in 1886.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilhelm Dee

    From Büne. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 22 February 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 158).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 39 records for Dee in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

France20 records

20 records of the Dee name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Arthur Charles Dee

    Born 1914 in Denain (Nord); died 1983 in Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanne Marie Dee

    Born 1907 in Belgium; died 1994 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Roland Joseph Dee

    Born 1925 in Épinay-sur-Seine (Seine-Saint-Denis); died 1998 in Créteil (Val-de-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Dee in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Dee name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 9
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Adelaide Maria Dee

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 66.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Dee

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Dee

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 80.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Dee in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Dee name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ethel Dee

    Died 1981, aged 59; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Arthur Cecil Dee

    Died 1935, aged 41; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Dee in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Dee name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Georges Dee

    Died 1910 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Natalia Dée

    Died 1923 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dee.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dee is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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