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

Dansby, 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 Dansby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dansby in America

Dansby is the 10607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dansby surname appeared 3,019 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dansby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dansby 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 Dansby

The surname Dansby has its origins in England, with records indicating that it first emerged in the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the place name Danesby or Dansby, which is now extinct but was once located near the town of Guisborough in North Yorkshire.

The name likely originated from the Old Norse words "Dan" and "by," meaning "a Danish place" or "a settlement of Danes." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who hailed from a Danish settlement in that area, reflecting the influence of Scandinavian settlers in northern England during the Viking Age.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Dansby can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which mention a Richard de Danesby. Another early record is from the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1308, where a John de Dannesby is listed.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Danseby, Dannesby, and Dansby, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography during that period. Notable individuals with this surname from that era include William Dansby, who was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.

As the surname spread across England, it became associated with various locations. For instance, in the 16th century, records mention a John Dansby from Westmorland, and in the 17th century, there was a Thomas Dansby from Northamptonshire.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Dansby. One of the earliest was Sir Robert Dansby (c. 1470–1543), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the early 16th century. Another prominent individual was John Dansby (1588–1659), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, Samuel Dansby (1710–1787) was a notable figure, serving as the Archdeacon of Richmond in Yorkshire. Moving into the 19th century, Charles Dansby (1824–1901) was a British artist and engraver known for his landscapes and seascapes.

More recently, in the 20th century, Robert Dansby (1919–2009) was an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1940s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dansby

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

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

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

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