2000
#28,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 784
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Dante
A surname indicating Italian origin meaning "enduring" or "lasting" in Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,011 Americans carry the last name Dante. That puts it at #28,704 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 339,025 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dante 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 Dante with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 339,025
Census rank
#28,704
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
882
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 882 bearers of the surname Dante in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28704th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dante, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Black (8.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dante
Dante is an Italian surname that traces its roots back to medieval times. It originated as a nickname derived from the Italian name Durante, which itself comes from the Latin word "durans" meaning "enduring" or "lasting." The name Dante gained popularity after the renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who lived from 1265 to 1321.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dante can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Dantesco," a collection of documents related to Dante Alighieri and his family. This collection includes references to individuals with the surname Dante dating back to the 13th century in the city of Florence.
The surname Dante has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. Aside from Dante Alighieri, one of the most famous individuals with this surname was Dante Gabriel Rossetti, an English poet, illustrator, and translator who lived from 1828 to 1882. He was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists and writers who sought to revive the artistic principles of the Italian Renaissance.
Another prominent individual with the surname Dante was Vincenzo Dante, an Italian composer and music theorist who lived from 1760 to 1828. He was known for his contributions to the development of the Neapolitan school of opera and his theoretical writings on music.
In the literary world, Dante Alighieri's masterpiece, the "Divine Comedy," is considered one of the greatest works of literature in the Italian language. This epic poem, completed in the early 14th century, has had a profound influence on literature, art, and culture throughout the centuries.
Other notable individuals with the surname Dante include Dante Michellangelo Benvenuti, an Italian mathematician and engineer who lived from 1357 to 1429, and Dante Guardini, a German Catholic priest, theologian, and philosopher who lived from 1885 to 1968 and wrote extensively on religious and philosophical themes.
While the surname Dante has its origins in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to hold significance and recognition, particularly in literary and artistic circles, due to its association with the iconic figure of Dante Alighieri and his enduring literary legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dante
Among Census respondents with the surname Dante, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Black (8.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dante 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 Dante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.3% · 611
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 84
- Black or African American8.8% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.7% · 77
- Two or more races3.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dante
Dante 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
#27,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 898
+114 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 1,615 places
2020
#28,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 882
-16 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 1,702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,617 | 784 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,002 | 898 | 0.30 | +114 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 1,615 places |
| 2020 | #28,704 | 882 | 0.30 | -16 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,702 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 Dante 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 | #27,002 | #28,704 | -6.3% |
| Count | 898 | 882 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.30 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dante bearers went from 898 to 882 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,702 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,002 to #28,704.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dante
FAQ
Dante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dante?
Name Census estimates that about 1,011 living Americans carry the surname Dante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 339,025 residents.
How common is Dante?
Dante ranks #28,704 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 882 people with the surname Dante. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Dante.
Has Dante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dante went from 898 recorded bearers to 882. That is a decrease of 16 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,002 to #28,704.
What does the Census say about the background of Dante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dante, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Black (8.8%). 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 Dante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.3% (611 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.3%), Hispanic (9.5%), Black (8.8%). 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 Dante (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 Dante mean?
A surname indicating Italian origin meaning "enduring" or "lasting" in Italian. 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 Dante (0.30 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 Dante?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.