2000
#6,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,631
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.72
Rare Last name
Damian
A surname derived from the Greek name Damianos, meaning "to tame" or "to subdue."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,511 Americans carry the last name Damian. That puts it at #5,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,634 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Damian 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 Damian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,634
Census rank
#5,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,550 bearers of the surname Damian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Damian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Damian
The surname Damian has its roots in Ancient Rome, originating from the Latin name "Damianus." This name is derived from the Greek word "daman," meaning "to tame" or "to subdue." It is believed that the name was initially given to those who demonstrated a talent for taming or subduing wild animals or hostile forces.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Damian can be traced back to the 5th century AD. During this period, the name appears in various ecclesiastical records and manuscripts, particularly those associated with the Catholic Church. One notable bearer of the name was Saint Damian, a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century.
In the Middle Ages, the surname Damian gained popularity across Europe, particularly in regions with strong Roman Catholic influences. In England, the name is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing the surname Damian were present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Damien, Damyan, and Damiano. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and language adaptations. One notable bearer of the name was Dante Alighieri's mentor, Damiano Assisi (c. 1180-1260), a renowned scholar and philosopher.
In the 15th century, the surname Damian gained prominence in Spain, where it was associated with several influential families. One such family was the House of Damian, which traced its origins back to the city of Valencia. This family produced notable figures, including Andrés Damian (1490-1562), a renowned architect and sculptor.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Damian was associated with several artists and intellectuals. One example is Damian Forment (c. 1480-1540), a Spanish sculptor known for his work in the Cathedral of Huesca. Another notable figure was Damian Luca (1520-1598), an Italian painter and architect who worked extensively in Rome.
In the 19th century, the surname Damian gained recognition in the literary world with the French writer Alphonse Damian (1808-1892), known for his works on the history of France. Additionally, the name was associated with José Damian Borabio (1821-1899), a Spanish politician and military officer who served as the Prime Minister of Spain.
Throughout history, the surname Damian has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, politicians, and military personnel. While the name's origins can be traced back to Ancient Rome, its presence has been recorded across various regions and cultures, reflecting its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Damian
Among Census respondents with the surname Damian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Damian 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 Damian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.7% · 4,890
- White17.2% · 1,129
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.8% · 382
- Two or more races1.1% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 41
- Black or African American0.5% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Damian
Damian 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
#4,980
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,048
+2,417 bearers (+52.2%)
Per 100,000 2.39
Rank movement Up 1,739 places
2020
#5,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,550
-498 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Down 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,719 | 4,631 | 1.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,980 | 7,048 | 2.39 | +2,417 bearers (+52.2%) | Up 1,739 places |
| 2020 | #5,161 | 6,550 | 2.19 | -498 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 181 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 Damian 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 | #4,980 | #5,161 | -3.6% |
| Count | 7,048 | 6,550 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.39 | 2.19 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Damian bearers went from 7,048 to 6,550 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,980 to #5,161.
FAQ
Damian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Damian?
Name Census estimates that about 7,511 living Americans carry the surname Damian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,634 residents.
How common is Damian?
Damian ranks #5,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,550 people with the surname Damian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Damian.
Has Damian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Damian went from 7,048 recorded bearers to 6,550. That is a decrease of 498 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,980 to #5,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Damian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Damian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Damian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.7% (4,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Damian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.7%), White (17.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%). 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 Damian (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 Damian mean?
A surname derived from the Greek name Damianos, meaning "to tame" or "to subdue." 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 Damian (2.19 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 share the surname Damian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.