2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dansey
A variant form of the locational surname "Dancy" derived from Danseys in Devon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Dansey. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dansey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dansey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Dansey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dansey, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.8%. The next largest groups are Black (37.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dansey
The surname Dansey is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "dene," which referred to a valley or a hollow. The name likely originated as a reference to someone who lived in or near a valley or hollow.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Dansey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the exact spelling may have varied slightly, the name appears to have been present in various parts of England during this time.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, records show individuals with variations of the name Dansey living in various counties across England, including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Daneseye, Daunseye, and Dawnsey.
One notable individual with the surname Dansey was Sir John Dansey, who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was a knight and landowner in Oxfordshire and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1399.
Another significant figure was Sir Thomas Dansey, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner in London and served as an alderman and sheriff of the city.
In the 17th century, the Dansey family established themselves as prominent landowners in Oxfordshire, with their estate centered around the village of Dancy, which likely derived its name from the family.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Dansey made notable contributions in various fields. For example, Reverend Dansey (1774-1842) was a prominent clergyman and author who wrote several works on religious topics.
Another individual of note was John Dansey (1693-1767), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist in London. He made significant donations to various charitable causes and was instrumental in establishing schools and hospitals in the city.
While the surname Dansey has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration during the colonial era. However, the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as a reference to those living in or near valleys or hollows.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dansey
Among Census respondents with the surname Dansey, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.8%. The next largest groups are Black (37.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dansey 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 Dansey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.8% · 57
- Black or African American37.5% · 39
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dansey
Dansey 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,437 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,058 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,437 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,058 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 Dansey 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 | #151,532 | #153,590 | -1.4% |
| Count | 108 | 104 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dansey bearers went from 108 to 104 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,058 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #153,590.
FAQ
Dansey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dansey?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Dansey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Dansey?
Dansey ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Dansey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dansey.
Has Dansey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dansey went from 108 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Dansey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dansey, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.8%. The next largest groups are Black (37.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Dansey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.8% (57 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dansey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.8%), Black (37.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Dansey (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 Dansey mean?
A variant form of the locational surname "Dancy" derived from Danseys in Devon. 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 Dansey (0.03 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 Dansey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.