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

Dankworth, 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 Dankworth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dankworth in America

Dankworth is the 76533rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dankworth surname appeared 251 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dankworth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dankworth 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 Dankworth

The surname Dankworth has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of central and northern Germany, particularly in areas such as Saxony and Lower Saxony. The name is derived from the Old German words "danc" and "wort," which together translate to "grateful speech" or "words of gratitude."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bürgerbuchen (citizen books) of the city of Lübeck, where a certain Hermannus Danckwort was mentioned in an entry dated 1287. These citizen books were official records maintained by medieval German cities, documenting the names and professions of their residents.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Danckwort, Danckworth, and Danckwurth in records from the Hanseatic cities of northern Germany. These cities were part of the powerful Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation that dominated maritime trade in the region.

The Dankworth surname can also be found in the Bauer Lexikon, a comprehensive reference work on German surnames published in the 19th century. This work provides valuable insights into the historical and regional variations of German family names.

Notable individuals with the surname Dankworth include:

1. Johann Dankworth (1662-1726), a German composer and organist known for his sacred works and contributions to the development of the Protestant church music tradition in Saxony.

2. Adelheid Dankworth (1817-1891), a German educator and advocate for women's rights, who established several schools for girls in the city of Hamburg.

3. Sir John Dankworth (1927-2010), an English jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, who was knighted for his services to music in 2006.

4. Cleo Laine (née Cleo Dankworth, born 1927), an English jazz singer and actress, wife of Sir John Dankworth, and a recipient of numerous awards and honors for her contributions to British music and theater.

5. Alec Dankworth (born 1960), an English jazz musician and composer, son of Sir John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, and a respected figure in the contemporary British jazz scene.

While the name Dankworth has its roots in Germany, it has also been adopted and carried on by notable individuals in other countries, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it has become associated with the rich tradition of British jazz music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dankworth

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

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

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

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