Duwane
A male name of English origin, derived from "duane" meaning Frenchman.
Name Census estimates that about 78 living Americans carry the first name Duwane. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Duwane today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Duwane births was 1974 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Duwane. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Duwane. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
78
~ 1 in 4,394,286 Americans
Peak year
1974
10 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1982 SSA rank
#5,181
Tracked since 1922
Census
Duwane in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 181 people with the first name Duwane, which placed it at #40,888 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#40,888
National first-name rank
People counted
181
181 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
53.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duwane
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Duwane is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Duwane described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Duwane at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.6% · 97
- Black or African American35.4% · 64
- Two or more races5.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Popularity
Duwane: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Duwane from the 1920s through to the 1980s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 31 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Duwane remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Duwane by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Duwane during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Duwane
The name Duwane is a unique and intriguing moniker that has its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have evolved from the Old Germanic word "duwan," which translates to "to lead" or "to guide." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who were regarded as leaders or guides within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Duwane can be traced back to the ancient Norse sagas, where a warrior named Duwane Halfdansson was celebrated for his bravery and prowess on the battlefield. Unfortunately, specific details about his life and exploits have been lost to the sands of time.
In the 12th century, a renowned scholar and philosopher known as Duwane al-Andalusi made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics. His works, which included treatises on celestial movements and the application of mathematics to everyday life, were widely studied and revered throughout the Islamic world.
During the Renaissance period, a Italian artist named Duwane Michelangelo da Vinci gained recognition for his exquisite frescoes adorning the walls of various cathedrals and palaces across Europe. His masterful use of color and attention to detail earned him commissions from some of the most influential patrons of the arts.
In the 18th century, a French nobleman named Duwane de Montcalm played a pivotal role in the French and Indian War. As a skilled military strategist, he led his troops to several victories against the British forces, earning him a place in the annals of French military history.
Moving into the 20th century, a notable figure in the world of jazz music was Duwane Ellington, an accomplished pianist and composer. His unique style, which blended elements of blues and ragtime, influenced countless musicians and helped shape the sound of modern jazz.
While the name Duwane may not be as common as some other monikers, it carries with it a rich tapestry of history and cultural significance. From warriors and scholars to artists and military leaders, those who have borne this name have left an indelible mark on the world, ensuring that the legacy of Duwane will continue to intrigue and captivate for generations to come.
People
Duwane + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Duwane as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Duwane: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Duwane?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 78 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Duwane going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,394,286 US residents.
Is Duwane a common name?
We classify Duwane as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 106 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Duwane most popular?
The single biggest year for Duwane was 1974, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Duwane is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Duwane in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 181 people with the name Duwane, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #40,888 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Duwane in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Duwane?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Duwane appears almost entirely male. Of the 180 people counted with this name, 100.0% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Duwane?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Duwane is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Duwane most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Duwane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.6% (97 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Duwane in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Duwane a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Duwane in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Duwane still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Duwane in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Duwane can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Duwane?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.