2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dansak
A surname of uncertain origin possibly related to dancing or a dance teacher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Dansak. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dansak 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Dansak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dansak, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dansak
The surname DANSAK has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of present-day Pakistan and India. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th or 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at its peak. The name is derived from the Persian word "dansak," which refers to a type of spicy lentil-based stew that was popular in the imperial court.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DANSAK can be found in the court records of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, where a courtier named Mirza Dansak is mentioned as a respected member of the imperial household. It is likely that this individual was a chef or a culinary expert, and the name DANSAK became associated with their family lineage.
During the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707), a prominent figure named Haji Dansak is recorded as having served as a high-ranking military commander in the imperial army. His exploits and bravery in battles against the Marathas and other regional powers earned him a place in the historical annals of the time.
As the Mughal Empire declined in the 18th century, many families bearing the DANSAK surname migrated to various parts of the subcontinent, including regions that are now part of modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. One notable individual from this period was Mirza Dansak Khan, a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who established several educational institutions and charitable trusts in the city of Lahore, which was then part of the Sikh Empire.
In the 19th century, the DANSAK surname gained prominence in the British Indian Army, with several officers bearing this name serving in various regiments and campaigns. One such individual was Colonel Dansak Singh, who fought bravely in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880) and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Indian Empire for his distinguished service.
Another notable figure from this period was Begum Dansak Jehan, a prominent philanthropist and social reformer who worked tirelessly to improve the education and welfare of women in the region of Awadh, which was then part of the British Raj. Her efforts were recognized by the British authorities, and she was awarded the prestigious Kaiser-i-Hind Medal for her contributions to society.
While the surname DANSAK has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance remains firmly rooted in the rich cultural tapestry of the Mughal Empire and the subsequent periods of South Asian history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dansak
Among Census respondents with the surname Dansak, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dansak 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 Dansak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 98
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dansak
Dansak 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,585 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+10 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,478 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 14,585 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 10,478 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 Dansak 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 | #158,432 | #147,954 | 6.6% |
| Count | 102 | 112 | 9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dansak bearers went from 102 to 112 (+9.8% change). The surname moved up 10,478 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #147,954.
FAQ
Dansak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dansak?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Dansak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Dansak?
Dansak ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Dansak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Dansak.
Has Dansak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dansak went from 102 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 10 (+9.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Dansak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dansak, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Dansak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dansak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Dansak (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 Dansak mean?
A surname of uncertain origin possibly related to dancing or a dance teacher. 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 Dansak (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 share the surname Dansak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.