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

Dad, 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 Dad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dad in America

Dad is the 99378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dad surname appeared 182 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 Dad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dad 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 Dad

The surname "DAD" is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, likely in the region of what is now northern France or Belgium. It may have derived from the Old French word "dad" or "dat," which referred to a small gift or present.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 13th-century "Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Longpont," a collection of medieval documents from the Longpont Abbey in France. The document mentions a certain "Johannes Dad" who was a landowner in the area.

Another early reference is found in the "Calendars of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland," dating back to the late 13th century, which lists a "Willelmus Dad" as a tenant farmer.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Dade," "Dadde," and "Dadey," in records from the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in England. One notable bearer was John Dadey, a merchant who lived in Norwich around 1380.

The surname "DAD" may also have originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked as a gift-giver or distributor of small presents, particularly during festivals or celebrations.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the "Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Vaast d'Arras," a collection of charters from the Saint-Vaast Abbey in Arras, France, where a "Jehan Dad" is mentioned as a landowner.

During the 16th century, the name is found in the "Calendars of the Patent Rolls" for England, which record a "Robert Dadde" from Lincolnshire, who was granted a pardon in 1548.

Other notable bearers of the surname "DAD" include:

1. Jean-Baptiste Dad (1670-1742), a French sculptor and woodcarver known for his work on several churches in Paris.
2. Pieter Dad (1732-1809), a Dutch painter and engraver who specialized in landscape art.
3. Eliza Dad (1808-1892), an English novelist and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "Evelyn."
4. Wilhelm Dad (1865-1927), a German engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of automotive design.
5. Margarita Dad (1901-1978), a Spanish dancer and choreographer who helped popularize flamenco dance in the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dad

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

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

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

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