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

Dampier, 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 Dampier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dampier in America

Dampier is the 12520th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dampier surname appeared 2,475 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 Dampier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dampier 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 Dampier

The surname DAMPIER is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is derived from the Old French term "damper," meaning "lord" or "master," which in turn comes from the Latin word "dominus." The name likely referred to someone who held a position of authority or was a landowner.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to various regions of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. One of the earliest documented bearers of the name was John Dampier, who was mentioned in the parish records of Barningham, Norfolk, in 1558.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the exploits of the English explorer and navigator William Dampier (1651-1715). He was the first Englishman to explore and document parts of Australia and was also the first to circumnavigate the world three times. His accounts of his voyages, published as "A New Voyage Round the World" and "Voyages and Descriptions," became highly influential works in the field of maritime exploration.

Another notable figure with the DAMPIER surname was Thomas Dampier (1629-1708), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Cuxton in Kent. He was known for his work on ecclesiastical history and his translations of ancient texts.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London, where the baptism of John Dampier was recorded in 1725.

During the 19th century, the DAMPIER name was associated with several figures in the arts and literature. One such individual was William Dampier (1836-1908), an English painter and illustrator known for his watercolor landscapes and depictions of rural life.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Thomas Dampier (1815-1895), an English novelist and writer who authored several works, including "The Maid of the Oaks" and "The Cavaliers of Virginia."

The name DAMPIER continues to be found across various regions of the world, particularly in countries with significant English heritage and immigration, such as Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dampier

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!