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

Dames, 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 Dames surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dames in America

Dames is the 14834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dames surname appeared 1,998 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dames.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dames 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 Dames

The surname DAMES is believed to have originated in France during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "dame," meaning "lady" or "woman of rank." The name was likely first used as a descriptive term for someone who worked in the household of a noblewoman or held a position of authority over other women.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus Dames in the county of Norfolk, England. This suggests that the name had already been adopted by Norman settlers in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the DAMES surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy. It was also found in parts of England where Norman influence was strong, including East Anglia and the Kent region.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the DAMES surname was Sir John Dames, a English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and served under King Edward III during the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of 1166, which mentions a landowner named William Dames in the county of Lincolnshire, England.

In the 16th century, the DAMES surname was associated with the village of Damerose in Somerset, England. This place name likely derived from a combination of the word "dame" and the Old English word "ros," meaning a small wood or thicket.

One of the most famous bearers of the DAMES surname was Sir William Dames, an English navigator and explorer who was born in 1560. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Virginia Colony in North America and served as the first governor of the colony from 1607 to 1609.

In the 17th century, the DAMES surname was also found in the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Dammes" or "Dammers." A notable figure from this time period was Joannes Dames, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived from 1636 to 1703.

As the DAMES surname spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Dams, Dammes, and Dammers. These variations reflect regional dialects and language influences, but all ultimately trace back to the original Old French word "dame."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dames

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

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

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

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