2000
#1,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,994
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.75
Uncommon Last name
Dale
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or dale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,546 Americans carry the last name Dale. That puts it at #1,219 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,531 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dale 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 Dale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,531
Census rank
#1,219
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,382 bearers of the surname Dale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1219th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dale, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dale
Among Census respondents with the surname Dale, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dale 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 Dale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 21,222
- Black or African American14.4% · 4,088
- Two or more races4.2% · 1,204
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 998
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 592
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 278
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dale
Dale 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
#1,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,757
+763 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 10.09
Rank movement Down 85 places
2020
#1,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,382
-1,375 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 9.50
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,103 | 28,994 | 10.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,188 | 29,757 | 10.09 | +763 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 85 places |
| 2020 | #1,219 | 28,382 | 9.50 | -1,375 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 31 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 Dale 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 | #1,188 | #1,219 | -2.6% |
| Count | 29,757 | 28,382 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 10.09 | 9.50 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dale bearers went from 29,757 to 28,382 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,188 to #1,219.
FAQ
Dale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dale?
Name Census estimates that about 32,546 living Americans carry the surname Dale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,531 residents.
How common is Dale?
Dale ranks #1,219 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,382 people with the surname Dale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,546), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Dale.
Has Dale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dale went from 29,757 recorded bearers to 28,382. That is a decrease of 1,375 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,188 to #1,219.
What does the Census say about the background of Dale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dale, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Dale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (21,222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Black (14.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Dale (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 Dale mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or dale. 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 Dale (9.50 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 Dale?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.