2000
#6,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,518
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Dabbs
Derived from a nickname for someone with a knack for striking or jabbing, likely in reference to fighting skills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,905 Americans carry the last name Dabbs. That puts it at #7,510 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dabbs surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dabbs with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,879
Census rank
#7,510
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,277 bearers of the surname Dabbs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7510th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dabbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dabbs
Among Census respondents with the surname Dabbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dabbs bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Dabbs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 3,344
- Black or African American13.6% · 581
- Two or more races3.6% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 129
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dabbs
Dabbs appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,516
-2 bearers (-0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Down 519 places
2020
#7,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,277
-239 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,861 | 4,518 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,380 | 4,516 | 1.53 | -2 bearers (-0.0%) | Down 519 places |
| 2020 | #7,510 | 4,277 | 1.43 | -239 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 130 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Dabbs surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,380 | #7,510 | -1.8% |
| Count | 4,516 | 4,277 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.53 | 1.43 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dabbs bearers went from 4,516 to 4,277 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,380 to #7,510.
FAQ
Dabbs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dabbs?
Name Census estimates that about 4,905 living Americans carry the surname Dabbs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,879 residents.
How common is Dabbs?
Dabbs ranks #7,510 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,277 people with the surname Dabbs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,905), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dabbs.
Has Dabbs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dabbs went from 4,516 recorded bearers to 4,277. That is a decrease of 239 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,380 to #7,510.
What does the Census say about the background of Dabbs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dabbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dabbs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (3,344 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dabbs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (13.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Dabbs (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Dabbs mean?
Derived from a nickname for someone with a knack for striking or jabbing, likely in reference to fighting skills. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Dabbs (1.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Dabbs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.