2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dabson
An English surname derived from the medieval personal name Daveson, possibly a patronymic meaning "son of David."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Dabson. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dabson 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 Dabson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Dabson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dabson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dabson
The surname Dabson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a now-lost or unidentified place name. The name may have evolved from an Old English phrase meaning "the valley of the dab," with "dab" referring to a small fish or a flat stone.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dabson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1196, where a William Dabson is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, a certain Robert Dabson was recorded as a landowner in the village of Weston-on-Trent, Derbyshire. This Robert Dabson is believed to have been a descendant of the aforementioned William Dabson, indicating the family's continued presence in the Midlands during this period.
The Dabson name appears to have spread throughout various parts of England in the centuries that followed. In the early 15th century, a John Dabson was recorded as a merchant in the city of Bristol, suggesting that members of the family had ventured into urban trades and commerce.
Notable individuals with the surname Dabson include Sir William Dabson (1562-1628), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. Another noteworthy figure was Reverend Thomas Dabson (1678-1744), a respected clergyman and author who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Guildford, Surrey.
In the 18th century, the Dabson family gained recognition through the exploits of Captain James Dabson (1721-1789), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War. His son, Admiral Henry Dabson (1754-1824), also had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy and played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries progressed, the Dabson name continued to be present in various parts of England, with individuals from this family making contributions in various fields, including academia, the arts, and public service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dabson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dabson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dabson 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 Dabson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 98
- Black or African American13.3% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dabson
Dabson 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-16 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,173 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+18 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 16,383 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 26,173 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 16,383 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 Dabson 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 | #158,432 | #142,049 | 10.3% |
| Count | 102 | 120 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dabson bearers went from 102 to 120 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 16,383 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #142,049.
FAQ
Dabson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dabson?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Dabson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Dabson?
Dabson ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Dabson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dabson.
Has Dabson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dabson went from 102 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 18 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Dabson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dabson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Dabson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dabson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (13.3%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Dabson (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 Dabson mean?
An English surname derived from the medieval personal name Daveson, possibly a patronymic meaning "son of David." 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 Dabson (0.04 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 people are called Dabson?
You can see how common the surname Dabson is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.