2000
#8,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,528
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Dame
A noble title or honorific bestowed upon a woman in recognition of service, rank, or distinction.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,018 Americans carry the last name Dame. That puts it at #8,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dame 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 Dame with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,305
Census rank
#8,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,504 bearers of the surname Dame in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dame, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dame
The surname Dame originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "dame," meaning "lady" or "dame." This word ultimately comes from the Latin "domina," which means "mistress" or "lady of the house."
The name was likely originally a descriptive surname given to a woman of high social status or one who held a respectable position in a household or community. It may have also been used as a nickname or term of respect for an older woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dame is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Dama," which was the Norman French spelling of the word.
In the 12th century, the name is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, where a person named Thomas Dame is mentioned. This indicates that the surname had spread to England by this time.
During the Middle Ages, the name Dame was also associated with various place names in France and England. For example, there was a village called Dame-Marie in Normandy, France, and a hamlet called Dame Enderby in Lincolnshire, England.
One notable historical figure with the surname Dame was John Dame (c. 1530-1611), an English clergyman and scholar. He was a Fellow of Cambridge University and served as the rector of several parishes in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Another famous bearer of the name was Michael Dame (1679-1753), an American silversmith and engraver who was active in Boston during the colonial era. He was known for his intricate and detailed metalwork, which included silver plates, cups, and other household items.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Dame was William Dame (1806-1867), an English architect and surveyor. He was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House and the National Gallery.
Lastly, one cannot overlook Edith Dame (1857-1943), an American author and feminist activist. She wrote several books and articles advocating for women's rights and was involved in various social and political movements of her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dame
Among Census respondents with the surname Dame, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dame 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 Dame surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 3,189
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 111
- Two or more races3.2% · 111
- Black or African American1.6% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dame
Dame 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
#8,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,647
+119 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 385 places
2020
#8,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,504
-143 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,586 | 3,528 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,971 | 3,647 | 1.24 | +119 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 385 places |
| 2020 | #8,961 | 3,504 | 1.17 | -143 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 10 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 Dame 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 | #8,971 | #8,961 | 0.1% |
| Count | 3,647 | 3,504 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.17 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dame bearers went from 3,647 to 3,504 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,971 to #8,961.
FAQ
Dame surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dame?
Name Census estimates that about 4,018 living Americans carry the surname Dame. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,305 residents.
How common is Dame?
Dame ranks #8,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,504 people with the surname Dame. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,018), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dame.
Has Dame become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dame went from 3,647 recorded bearers to 3,504. That is a decrease of 143 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,971 to #8,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Dame?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dame, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Dame in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (3,189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dame appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Dame (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 Dame mean?
A noble title or honorific bestowed upon a woman in recognition of service, rank, or distinction. 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 Dame (1.17 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 have the last name Dame?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Dame at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.