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

Dan, 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 Dan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dan in America

Dan is the 12012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dan surname appeared 2,599 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 Dan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dan 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 Dan

The surname Dan has its origins in the Middle English and Old Norse word "Danr" which means "a Dane". It was primarily used as an ethnic name for someone of Danish descent or origin. The name is believed to have first emerged in the Scandinavian countries, particularly in Denmark, during the 9th century.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Dan can be traced back to the late 11th century in England, where it likely arrived with the Danish settlers after the Norman Conquest. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England compiled in 1086, contains several entries of individuals with the surname Dan.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Dan was prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. It was also found in Scotland, where the name was likely introduced by Danish Vikings who had settled in the northern regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Dan was Eadric Dan, a nobleman and landowner from Lincolnshire, England, who lived in the late 11th century. Another notable figure was Swein Dan, a Danish warrior and chieftain who participated in the Viking raids on England in the early 11th century.

In the 12th century, the surname Dan appeared in various spellings, such as Dann, Danne, and Danne, reflecting the regional variations and pronunciation differences. The place name Danbury in Essex, England, is believed to have derived from the Old English "Danabyrig", meaning "the fortified place of the Danes".

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Dan. One such figure was John Dan (1570-1636), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Windsor and author of several theological works. Another was Thomas Dan (1612-1694), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.

In the 18th century, Samuel Dan (1722-1788) was a notable English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Oxford. Robert Dan (1756-1833) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his services.

The surname Dan has also been associated with notable individuals in other parts of the world, such as the French painter André Dan (1700-1757), known for his historical and religious paintings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dan

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

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

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

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