2000
#1,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,616
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.64
Uncommon Last name
Dahl
From a Norwegian place name, or an occupational surname referring to a person living in a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,260 Americans carry the last name Dahl. That puts it at #1,657 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,128 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dahl 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 Dahl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,128
Census rank
#1,657
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,156 bearers of the surname Dahl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1657th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dahl
The surname DAHL has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway and Sweden. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "dalr," which means "valley" or "dale." This suggests that the name was initially given to people who lived in or near a valley or a valley-like area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name DAHL can be traced back to the 13th century in medieval Scandinavian records and documents. One notable example is the mention of a person named Thorvald Dahl in the Icelandic Annals from the year 1257.
In the 14th century, the name DAHL appeared in various forms, such as Dael, Daell, and Dael, in Norwegian and Swedish records. This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
The name DAHL has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest and most famous was Nils Dahl, a Norwegian bishop and scholar who lived from 1508 to 1589. He played a significant role in the reformation of the Church of Norway and was also known for his work in translating the Bible into Norwegian.
Another prominent figure with the surname DAHL was Johan Christian Clausen Dahl, a Norwegian painter born in 1788. He is considered one of the founders of the Norwegian romantic nationalist painting tradition and is renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the Norwegian countryside.
In the literary world, Roald Dahl, the famous British author, was born in 1916 to Norwegian parents. His works, such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Matilda," and "The BFG," have captivated generations of readers worldwide.
Moving to the 20th century, Ingrid Dahl, a Swedish actress born in 1912, gained international recognition for her roles in several Hollywood films, including "Casablanca" and "Gaslight." She was also known for her philanthropic work and her advocacy for various causes.
Additionally, the surname DAHL has been associated with several historical places and locations. For instance, the Dahl Township in Minnesota, United States, was named after a Norwegian settler named Hans Dahl, who was one of the first pioneers in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dahl
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dahl 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 Dahl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 19,419
- Two or more races3.1% · 653
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 624
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 179
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 157
- Black or African American0.6% · 124
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dahl
Dahl 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
#1,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,598
+982 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 7.32
Rank movement Down 70 places
2020
#1,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,156
-442 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 7.08
Rank movement Up 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,599 | 20,616 | 7.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,669 | 21,598 | 7.32 | +982 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 70 places |
| 2020 | #1,657 | 21,156 | 7.08 | -442 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 12 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 Dahl 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 | #1,669 | #1,657 | 0.7% |
| Count | 21,598 | 21,156 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 7.32 | 7.08 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dahl bearers went from 21,598 to 21,156 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,669 to #1,657.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dahl
FAQ
Dahl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dahl?
Name Census estimates that about 24,260 living Americans carry the surname Dahl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,128 residents.
How common is Dahl?
Dahl ranks #1,657 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,156 people with the surname Dahl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Dahl.
Has Dahl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dahl went from 21,598 recorded bearers to 21,156. That is a decrease of 442 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,669 to #1,657.
What does the Census say about the background of Dahl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Dahl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (19,419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dahl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Dahl (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 Dahl mean?
From a Norwegian place name, or an occupational surname referring to a person living in a valley. 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 Dahl (7.08 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 Dahl?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dahl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.