2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dacier
A surname derived from the French occupation of iron worker or iron monger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Dacier. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dacier 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Dacier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dacier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dacier
The surname Dacier is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "acier," meaning "steel." This name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly referring to a person involved in the steel trade or someone who worked as a metalsmith.
The earliest recorded instances of the Dacier name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. Some early spellings of the name include Dassier, Dascier, and D'Acier.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was André Dacier, a French scholar and classical editor who lived from 1651 to 1722. He is best known for his translations of ancient Greek and Roman literature into French.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Anne Dacier, a renowned 17th-century French scholar and translator who lived from 1654 to 1720. She was the wife of André Dacier and collaborated with him on several literary works, gaining recognition for her translations of ancient texts.
During the 16th century, a place name associated with the Dacier surname was Acier, a small village located in the Ardennes region of northeastern France. It is possible that some individuals with this surname hailed from or had connections to this area.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Joseph Dacier, a French painter and engraver who lived from 1742 to 1833. His works were highly regarded during his time, and he was a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture.
Another person of historical significance bearing the Dacier surname was Louis Dacier, a French Jesuit priest and missionary who lived from 1639 to 1717. He spent several years in Canada, working among the indigenous population and contributing to the establishment of Catholic missions in the region.
While the Dacier surname is not among the most common in France today, it has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries, particularly in the fields of literature, art, and religion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dacier
Among Census respondents with the surname Dacier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dacier 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 Dacier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 9
- Black or African American4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dacier
Dacier 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+16 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,610 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-19 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,999 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 5,610 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 17,999 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 Dacier 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 | #132,206 | #150,205 | -13.6% |
| Count | 128 | 109 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dacier bearers went from 128 to 109 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 17,999 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #150,205.
FAQ
Dacier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dacier?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Dacier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Dacier?
Dacier ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Dacier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Dacier.
Has Dacier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dacier went from 128 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Dacier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dacier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Dacier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dacier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Hispanic (8.3%), Black (4.6%). 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 Dacier (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 Dacier mean?
A surname derived from the French occupation of iron worker or iron monger. 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 Dacier (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 Americans have the surname Dacier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.