2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Danowitz
A variant of the Jewish surname "Danets", derived from the city of Daniets in Ukraine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Danowitz. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Danowitz 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Danowitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Danowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Danowitz
The surname Danowitz is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century in the regions of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. The name is believed to be derived from the Yiddish word "danowitz," which translates to "judge" or "arbitrator," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have held positions of authority or served as mediators within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Danowitz can be found in the Pinkas, a historical record book maintained by Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. This document, dating back to the late 15th century, mentions a certain Yitzhak ben Danowitz, who was a respected scholar and community leader in the town of Lublin, Poland.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Danowitz name appeared in various legal documents and census records across the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Notably, a certain Shlomo Danowitz (1550-1620) was a prominent rabbi and Talmudic scholar who authored several influential works on Jewish law and philosophy.
As the Jewish diaspora spread across Europe and beyond, the Danowitz name found its way into other regions. In the late 18th century, a family by the name of Danowitz settled in the city of Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One of their descendants, Jakob Danowitz (1789-1865), was a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
The 19th century saw the Danowitz name spread further afield, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. Among them was Moshe Danowitz (1810-1892), a renowned Hasidic rabbi and leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Ukraine. Another prominent figure was Leah Danowitz (1835-1910), a pioneering educator and founder of one of the first modern Jewish schools for girls in Warsaw, Poland.
As the 20th century dawned, the Danowitz name continued to be carried by individuals who left their mark on various fields. One such individual was Isaac Danowitz (1901-1978), a renowned author and scholar who wrote extensively on Jewish history and culture. Another notable figure was Chaim Danowitz (1920-2005), a celebrated artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States.
Throughout its long and storied history, the surname Danowitz has been borne by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields and communities. While the name's origins can be traced back to the 14th century, its legacy continues to endure, carried forward by the descendants of those who first adopted it centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Danowitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Danowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Danowitz 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 Danowitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 112
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Danowitz
Danowitz appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 294 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 294 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 Danowitz 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 | #146,201 | #146,495 | -0.2% |
| Count | 113 | 114 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Danowitz bearers went from 113 to 114 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 294 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #146,495.
FAQ
Danowitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Danowitz?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Danowitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Danowitz?
Danowitz ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Danowitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Danowitz.
Has Danowitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Danowitz went from 113 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Danowitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Danowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%). 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 Danowitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Danowitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Black (1.8%). 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 Danowitz (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 Danowitz mean?
A variant of the Jewish surname "Danets", derived from the city of Daniets in Ukraine. 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 Danowitz (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 Danowitz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.