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

Dancy, 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 Dancy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dancy in America

Dancy is the 6165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dancy surname appeared 5,551 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dancy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dancy 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 Dancy

The surname Dancy is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "danser," meaning "to dance." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was a skilled dancer or entertainer.

The earliest known record of the surname Dancy can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Hertfordshire, England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Dancy, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1275.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Dancy was also found in various parts of southern England, particularly in the counties of Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset. It is possible that the name may have been associated with certain place names or settlements, such as the village of Dancy in Wiltshire or the hamlet of Dancy in Dorset.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Dancy was Sir Thomas Dancy (1594-1668), an English politician and member of Parliament. He served as the High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1633 and represented the borough of Westbury in the Parliament of England.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Edward Dancy (1599-1662), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, from 1639 to 1662.

In the 18th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Dancy was John Dancy (1715-1784), an English actor and playwright who performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. He was particularly known for his roles in comedies and farces.

The surname Dancy also spread to other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia, through immigration and migration from England. For example, William Dancy (1787-1857) was an early settler in New South Wales, Australia, who arrived in the colony in 1809 and became a successful farmer and landowner.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Dancy throughout history, highlighting its English origins and potential connections to the world of dance and entertainment.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dancy

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

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

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

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