2000
#9,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,019
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Dane
A surname denoting Danish descent or origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,152 Americans carry the last name Dane. That puts it at #11,043 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dane 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 Dane with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,742
Census rank
#11,043
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,749 bearers of the surname Dane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11043rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dane, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dane
Among Census respondents with the surname Dane, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dane 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 Dane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 2,394
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 103
- Two or more races3.1% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 77
- Black or African American2.8% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dane
Dane 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
#10,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,036
+17 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 689 places
2020
#11,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,749
-287 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 488 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,866 | 3,019 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,555 | 3,036 | 1.03 | +17 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 689 places |
| 2020 | #11,043 | 2,749 | 0.92 | -287 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 488 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 Dane 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 | #10,555 | #11,043 | -4.6% |
| Count | 3,036 | 2,749 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.92 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dane bearers went from 3,036 to 2,749 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 488 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,555 to #11,043.
FAQ
Dane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dane?
Name Census estimates that about 3,152 living Americans carry the surname Dane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,742 residents.
How common is Dane?
Dane ranks #11,043 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,749 people with the surname Dane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,152), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dane.
Has Dane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dane went from 3,036 recorded bearers to 2,749. That is a decrease of 287 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,555 to #11,043.
What does the Census say about the background of Dane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dane, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (2,394 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Dane (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 Dane mean?
A surname denoting Danish descent or origin. 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 Dane (0.92 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 Americans have the surname Dane?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.