2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Danne
A surname derived from the French personal name Danne, a diminutive of Daniel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Danne. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Danne 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Danne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Danne, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Danne
The surname Danne is of German origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, where it was derived from the Old High German word "dannen," meaning "from there" or "from that place."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Danne can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary from the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in Westphalia, dated around the 9th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Danne, suggesting its existence during that time.
In the 13th century, the Danne surname appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Annales Sancti Blasii Brunsvicenses, a chronicle of the Brunswick region. These historical records provide insight into the geographical distribution and prominence of the Danne family during the Middle Ages.
The surname Danne is also linked to several place names in Germany, such as Dannenberg and Dannau, which may have influenced the surname's origin or provided a basis for its adoption by families residing in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Danne throughout history include:
1. Heinrich Danne (c. 1450-1520), a German scholar and humanist known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.
2. Johann Danne (1572-1639), a German lawyer and author who wrote extensively on legal matters and published works on Roman law.
3. Friedrich Danne (1701-1783), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena.
4. Karl Danne (1820-1891), a German architect and urban planner responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities.
5. August Danne (1853-1924), a German educator and author who wrote extensively on pedagogical topics and advocated for educational reforms.
These examples demonstrate the historical presence and notable achievements of individuals bearing the surname Danne across various fields, including scholarship, law, theology, architecture, and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Danne
Among Census respondents with the surname Danne, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Danne 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 Danne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 84
- Black or African American22.2% · 26
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Danne
Danne 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-17 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,960 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 20,960 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,821 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 Danne 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 | #136,449 | #144,270 | -5.7% |
| Count | 123 | 117 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Danne bearers went from 123 to 117 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #144,270.
FAQ
Danne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Danne?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Danne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Danne?
Danne ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Danne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Danne.
Has Danne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Danne went from 123 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Danne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Danne, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Danne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Danne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (22.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Danne (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 Danne mean?
A surname derived from the French personal name Danne, a diminutive of Daniel. 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 Danne (0.04 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 people have the surname Danne?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.