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

Dallas, 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 Dallas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dallas in America

Dallas is the 3761st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dallas surname appeared 9,418 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Dallas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dallas 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 Dallas

The surname Dallas has its origins in Scotland and northern England. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word 'dail', meaning a meadow or a fertile valley. The name emerged as a locational surname, referring to people who lived in or near such a valley or meadow area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dallas can be traced back to the 12th century in Scotland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Willielmus de Doleys, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as de Dolas, Dolays, and Dolaies. These variations reflect the different spellings and pronunciations used in different regions of Scotland and northern England.

The name Dallas is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Dallas in Moray and Dallas in Ayrshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in their respective regions.

One notable figure in the history of the Dallas surname was Sir Robert Dallas (1756-1824), a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of St. Helena during Napoleon Bonaparte's exile on the island.

Another prominent bearer of the name was George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864), an American statesman who served as the 11th Vice President of the United States under James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849.

In the arts, the name is associated with the American writer and journalist Dallas Lore Sharp (1870-1941), known for his nature writings and stories for children.

The surname Dallas also has a connection to the city of Dallas, Texas, which was founded in 1841 and named after George Mifflin Dallas, who was Vice President at the time.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dallas include Alexander Robert Charles Dallas (1791-1869), a British writer and lawyer, and Sir Robert Dallas (1804-1857), a Scottish advocate and judge.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dallas

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

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

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

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