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

Dane, 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 Dane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dane in America

Dane is the 10555th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dane surname appeared 3,036 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 Dane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dane 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 Dane

The surname DANE is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "Dene" which meant "a Danish person" or "a Dane". This name was likely given to individuals who either came from Denmark or had Danish ancestry during the Viking Age in England.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname DANE can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "de Dena". This suggests that the name was already in use in England prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed that the name may have been brought to England by Danish settlers or Vikings during their invasions and subsequent settlements in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DANE was Robert de Dene, who lived in Gloucestershire, England, during the 13th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Dane, a prominent English politician and soldier who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the surname DANE appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was Edmund Dane, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname DANE continued to be found throughout England, particularly in the southwestern counties. One notable individual from this period was Sir Ralph Dane (1619-1695), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset.

Another prominent bearer of the surname DANE was John Dane (1692-1778), an English clergyman and author who was born in Somerset. He wrote several works on theology and religion during his lifetime.

As the surname DANE spread across England, it also began to appear in various place names and locales. For example, there is a village called Dane End in Hertfordshire, and another called Danes Moss in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from the presence of Danish settlers in those areas during the Viking Age.

Overall, the surname DANE has a rich history and heritage that can be traced back to the early days of the Danish presence in England. Its prevalence in certain regions of the country, as well as its appearance in historical records and place names, reflects the significant impact that Danish settlers and Vikings had on the development of English culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dane

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dane, 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!