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

Dale, 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 Dale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dale in America

Dale is the 1188th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dale surname appeared 29,757 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Dale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dale 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 Dale

The surname Dale has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "dæl," which means "valley" or "dale." This name was likely given to people who lived near or in a valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dale can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "de Dale." This document was a survey of landholders in England, and the use of the name suggests that the Dale family had established itself by that time.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not mention the surname Dale directly. However, it does include references to place names such as Dalebury and Dalewood, which may have been the locations from which the surname originated.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including "Atte Dale," "de la Dale," and "de Dale." These variations reflect the influence of Norman French on the English language during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname Dale throughout history include:

1. Thomas Dale (c. 1570-1619), an English naval commander and acting Governor of the Virginia Colony in the early 17th century.
2. Samuel Dale (1659-1739), an English botanist and pioneering researcher in the field of entomology.
3. David Dale (1739-1806), a Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist who played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution.
4. Alan Dale (1925-2012), an English actor best known for his roles in television shows like "Neighbours" and "The O.C."
5. Jim Dale (born 1935), an English actor, voice artist, and singer, famous for his narration of the Harry Potter audiobook series.

The surname Dale has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Dale Abbey in Derbyshire, Dale Town in Shropshire, and Dale Head in Cumbria. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the geographical feature of a valley or dale.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dale

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!