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

Dabbs, 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 Dabbs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dabbs in America

Dabbs is the 7380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dabbs surname appeared 4,516 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dabbs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dabbs 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.

The history of the last name Dabbs

The surname DABBS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "dæbba," meaning a small pool or shallow basin of water. This name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with such bodies of water.

In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Dabbis, Dabyns, and Dabyn, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common in those times. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Dabyns."

The DABBS surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Dabyn's Ford in Gloucestershire and Dabyn's Green in Hertfordshire. These place names likely arose from individuals bearing the surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the DABBS surname include John Dabbs (c. 1470-1547), a merchant and alderman from Bristol, England, who served as the city's mayor in 1516. Another prominent figure was Sir Ralph Dabbs (1565-1636), a member of Parliament and landowner from Worcestershire.

In the 17th century, William Dabbs (1610-1678) was a prominent Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Bride's Church in London. His sermons and writings were widely circulated during his lifetime.

During the 18th century, the DABBS surname gained recognition through the work of Robert Dabbs (1725-1795), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and country estates.

Another notable individual was Mary Ann DABBS (1792-1868), a British author and poet who published several volumes of poetry and children's stories during the early 19th century.

While the surname DABBS originated in England, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement, with populations bearing this name found in various countries today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dabbs

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

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 Dabbs was:

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 Dabbs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Dabbs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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