2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Darab
A Persian surname referring to a village or town in Iran.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Darab. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Darab 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Darab in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Darab, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (26.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Darab
The surname DARAB is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in modern-day Iran or the surrounding regions. It is likely derived from the Persian word "darab," which means "drum" or "drummer." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who played drums or were involved in musical traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DARAB can be traced back to the 10th century, when it appeared in Persian manuscripts and historical documents. During this period, the region was under the influence of various Persian dynasties, and the name may have been used to identify individuals affiliated with the royal courts or artistic communities.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Darab Qazwini, a renowned Persian scholar and poet, was born in the city of Qazvin, located in present-day Iran. His works and literary contributions have been widely recognized and studied, adding significance to the DARAB surname.
Another notable bearer of the name was Darab Peshraw, a 17th-century Kurdish poet and mystic from the region of Sanandaj in modern-day Iran. His poetic works, which often explored spiritual themes, have left a lasting impact on Kurdish literature and culture.
In the 19th century, a Persian military officer named Darab Khan served under the Qajar dynasty, playing a role in various military campaigns and conflicts of the time.
Moving to more recent history, Darab Diba, an Iranian-American architect and artist, was born in Tehran in 1920. He gained recognition for his innovative architectural designs and contributions to the field of art and design.
Throughout its history, the surname DARAB has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, poets, military figures, and artists. While its precise origins may be lost to time, the name continues to hold significance in the cultural tapestry of the Middle East, particularly in Iran and surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Darab
Among Census respondents with the surname Darab, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (26.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Darab 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 Darab surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.4% · 55
- Two or more races26.7% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander19.0% · 22
- Black or African American3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Darab
Darab appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+14 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 13,404 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 Darab 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 | #145,028 | 8.5% |
| Count | 102 | 116 | 13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Darab bearers went from 102 to 116 (+13.7% change). The surname moved up 13,404 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,028.
FAQ
Darab surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Darab?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Darab. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Darab?
Darab ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Darab. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Darab.
Has Darab become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Darab went from 102 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 14 (+13.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Darab?
Among Census respondents with the surname Darab, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (26.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%). 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 Darab in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.4% (55 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Darab appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.4%), Two or More Races (26.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%). 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 Darab (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 Darab mean?
A Persian surname referring to a village or town in Iran. 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 Darab (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 have the surname Darab?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.