da last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name da is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named da.

Meaning of da

A surname often derived from the abbreviated Italian masculine article "da".

da, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the da surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of da in America

da is the 32268th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The da surname appeared 714 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname da.

We can also compare 2010 data for da to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 32268 53904 -50.22%
Count 714 359 66.17%
Proportion per 100k 0.24 0.13 59.46%

The history of the last name da

The surname DA has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "de," which means "from" or "of," and was commonly used as a prefix in names to indicate a person's place of origin or lineage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DA can be found in the "Livro das Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese manuscript from the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname DA, suggesting its widespread use during that time period.

In Spain, the surname DA is often associated with the region of Galicia, where it is believed to have originated from the Latin word "data," meaning "given" or "dated." This connection may indicate that the name was initially used to identify individuals who were born or lived in a specific area or estate.

One notable example of a historical figure with the surname DA is João da Gama, a Portuguese explorer from the 15th century who was the first to successfully navigate a sea route from Europe to India. His voyage, which took place between 1497 and 1499, played a crucial role in establishing Portugal's maritime empire and the Age of Discovery.

Another prominent individual with the surname DA was Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. Born in 1460 and dying in 1524, Vasco da Gama's expeditions established a sea route between Europe and Asia, revolutionizing global trade and paving the way for the Portuguese Empire's expansion.

In the realm of arts and literature, the Portuguese poet and playwright Gil Vicente (c. 1465-1537) is considered one of the most influential figures of the Renaissance period in Portugal. His works, written in both Portuguese and Spanish, played a significant role in the development of the Portuguese language and theater.

Another notable figure with the surname DA is the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), whose full name was Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential painters of the Spanish Golden Age and is renowned for his masterpieces such as "Las Meninas" and portraits of Spanish royalty.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012), whose full name was Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho. He is considered one of the most important figures in modern architecture and is renowned for his distinctive curving designs and innovative use of reinforced concrete.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name da

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname da.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for da was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 22.27% 159
Non-Hispanic Black Only 7.00% 50
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 63.87% 456
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 4.06% 29

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of da has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 22.27% 34.82% -43.97%
Black 7.00% 13.37% -62.54%
Asian and Pacific Islander 63.87% 41.78% 41.82%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 1.39% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 3.90% (S)%
Hispanic 4.06% 4.74% -15.45%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name da was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of da, please contact us.

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"da last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/da-surname-popularity/.

"da last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/da-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

da last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/da-surname-popularity/.

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