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

Dait, 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 Dait surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dait in America

Dait is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dait surname appeared 135 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 Dait.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dait 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 Dait

The surname DAIT originates from the English county of Lincolnshire, first appearing in records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dæge," meaning "day laborer" or "day worker," suggesting that the name's earliest bearers were individuals who worked for daily wages.

The earliest recorded instance of the DAIT surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and residents in England. This document lists a certain William Dait residing in the village of Alford, near the town of Louth in Lincolnshire.

During the medieval period, the DAIT surname was primarily concentrated in the northeastern region of Lincolnshire, particularly around the towns of Louth and Grimsby. Several variations in spelling can be found in historical documents, including Dait, Daite, Daytt, and Dayte.

One notable figure bearing the DAIT surname was Sir Robert Dait (c. 1460-1528), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry class in Lincolnshire. He is mentioned in several legal records and land transactions during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another individual of note was John Dait (1590-1662), a Puritan minister who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Stamford, Lincolnshire, during the tumultuous years of the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the DAIT surname began to spread beyond Lincolnshire, with records showing individuals bearing the name in neighboring counties such as Norfolk and Yorkshire. One example is Thomas Dait (1625-1688), a merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich.

Moving into the 18th century, the DAIT surname continued to be found primarily in eastern England, with pockets of families in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. A notable figure from this era was William Dait (1702-1776), a prominent landowner and justice of the peace in the town of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

As the centuries progressed, the DAIT surname became more widely dispersed across England and, later, other parts of the British Isles and beyond, as families migrated and settled in new regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dait

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

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

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

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