2000
#8,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,640
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Dantzler
Derived from the German surname "Danzler," an occupational name for a dancer or entertainer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,588 Americans carry the last name Dantzler. That puts it at #7,947 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,707 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dantzler 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
4.6K
1 in 74,707
Census rank
#7,947
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,001 bearers of the surname Dantzler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7947th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dantzler, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dantzler
The surname Dantzler has its origins in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "dantz," which means "dance" or "dancer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a historical document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1487. The document mentions a certain Johannes Dantzler, who was a member of the local guild of dancers and entertainers. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as dancers or performers.
In the 16th century, there are records of the Dantzler family residing in the town of Regensburg, which was a thriving center of trade and culture at the time. A notable member of the family was Hans Dantzler, a respected merchant who lived from around 1520 to 1589. His son, Peter Dantzler, followed in his footsteps and became a successful trader in the city.
As the Dantzler family spread across Germany, various spellings of the name emerged, including Danzler, Däntzler, and Dänzler. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Dantzler was Johann Dantzler, a renowned German composer and organist who lived from 1723 to 1795. He is particularly known for his contributions to the development of the organ concerto genre.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Dantzler, a German philosopher and academic who was born in 1809 and died in 1886. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and wrote extensively on topics such as ethics and metaphysics.
In the 19th century, the Dantzler family began to spread beyond Germany, with some members emigrating to other parts of Europe and even to the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Wilhelm Dantzler, who arrived in New York City in 1848 from the German state of Hesse.
Another significant individual was Karl Dantzler, a German-American engineer who lived from 1876 to 1945. He played a crucial role in the construction of several major bridges and infrastructure projects in the United States, including the George Washington Bridge in New York City.
While the surname Dantzler may not be as common as some other German names, it has a rich history that spans centuries and is associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, composers, philosophers, and engineers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dantzler
Among Census respondents with the surname Dantzler, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dantzler 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 Dantzler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American68.4% · 2,736
- White23.3% · 933
- Two or more races4.6% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 132
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dantzler
Dantzler 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
#8,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,117
+477 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 321 places
2020
#7,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,001
-116 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,357 | 3,640 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,036 | 4,117 | 1.40 | +477 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 321 places |
| 2020 | #7,947 | 4,001 | 1.34 | -116 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 89 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 Dantzler 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 | #8,036 | #7,947 | 1.1% |
| Count | 4,117 | 4,001 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.34 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dantzler bearers went from 4,117 to 4,001 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,036 to #7,947.
FAQ
Dantzler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dantzler?
Name Census estimates that about 4,588 living Americans carry the surname Dantzler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,707 residents.
How common is Dantzler?
Dantzler ranks #7,947 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,001 people with the surname Dantzler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,588), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dantzler.
Has Dantzler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dantzler went from 4,117 recorded bearers to 4,001. That is a decrease of 116 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,036 to #7,947.
What does the Census say about the background of Dantzler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dantzler, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dantzler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (2,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dantzler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (68.4%), White (23.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Dantzler (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 Dantzler mean?
Derived from the German surname "Danzler," an occupational name for a dancer or entertainer. 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 Dantzler (1.34 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 Americans have the surname Dantzler?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.