Deacon
A surname from the church office of deacon, originally used for someone who held that post or was identified with it.
The #9,756 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,940 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Deacon comes from the ecclesiastical title for a church officer, from Latin diaconus, via Old French and Middle English. In literal sense, it meant “the deacon,” one of the lower orders of clergy. As a surname, it was used for someone who served in that office or was known by that title.
History
Medieval records show early forms such as le Dekene and Walter the Deacon. The name belongs to a broader group of surnames formed from church offices, alongside Priest, Parson, and Bishop. It remains a relatively uncommon surname today, including in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower specifically notes Walter the Deacon as a Domesday-era tenant-in-chief in Gloucester and Essex.
From the historical record
“America. DEACON. The ecclesiastical office. Walter the Deacon ivas at the compilation of Domesday a tenant in chief in the coun- ties of Gloucester and Essex. DEADLY. See Deadman. DEADMAN. A known coiTuption of Debenham. In Sussex it is further cor- rupted to Deadly! DEAKIN. The same as Dakiu.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Deacon
- John Deacon (b. 1951)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.