Defoe

Defoe Meaning & Origin

About Defoe
The surname Defoe is of French origin and is derived from the Old French word "defeu" or "de feu," meaning "of the fire." It is believed to have been a nickname given to someone who was fiery or passionate in nature. The name may have also been used to describe someone who worked with fire or had a connection to fire-related activities. Over time, the surname Defoe has evolved and spread to different parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries.

🌍 Origin
📏 Surname Length
💬 Number of Syllables
🔠 Starting Letter
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Popularity

Surname Popularity by Ethnicity

The surname Defoe is a unique entry in our records. Discover more about its distribution and characteristics:

  • Number of People with the name Defoe: 1,848
  • Overall Popularity: Less than 0.01% (a rare surname)
  • Ranking: 15,771
  • Frequency per 100k people: 0.63

Below is the ethnic distribution of the surname Defoe based on recent US Census records. This is a brief glimpse into the diverse backgrounds of people carrying this surname.

Ranking information for the surname Defoe is not currently available.

Pronunciation

📇 Metaphone
TF
🗽 NYSIIS
DA
🔊 Soundex
D010
🎵 Syllabic Pronunciation
D IH0 F OW1
🌐 IPA
/dɪˈfoʊ/
🔊 Double Metaphone
('TF', '')
🈯 Cross-Lingual Phonetic
D100

Accessibility & Communication

How to write the name Defoe in Braille

Here's how to represent Defoe in Braille, each pattern of raised dots corresponds to a letter in the name.

The name Defoe in braille

How to sign the name Defoe using Sign Language

The image below shows how you can spell Defoe using American Sign Language (ASL). In sign language, each hand shape corresponds to a specific a letter of the name.

The name Defoe in sign language

Numerology