Dement
A rare surname that may come from a nickname or an older French word-form, but its exact origin is uncertain.
The #7,595 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,554 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Dement is not securely explained by the excerpt provided. Historically it has been grouped with forms that may reflect a French-derived element beginning with de- or an English nickname formation, but the evidence is too thin to be confident. In practice, the name is usually treated as an uncertain surname whose original sense is no longer clear.
History
Because the available source mentions the word only incidentally, it does not give a usable family-name history. The surname is relatively uncommon in the United States and may represent a small number of unrelated family lines or a spelling that has shifted over time.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The capitalized form DeMent is often seen in family records and can sometimes reflect a preferred spelling rather than a different origin.
From the historical record
“Delay, Divert, Disport, Diverge*, Dissert, Deter, Devote, De- clare, Detach, Denote, Deport, Debark, Decay, Distil, Decline, Define, Desire, Descant, Desist, Derange, Dement, Decry, Deny, Denies, Devolve, Defalk, Debouche, De- bauche. Depart, - Donate, Dribble, Dwindle, Dangle, Dandle, Dawdle, Drabble, Dally…”
— A Grammar of American Surnames