2000
#2,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,652
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.69
Uncommon Last name
Darden
Derived from a place name meaning "valley of oak trees" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,287 Americans carry the last name Darden. That puts it at #2,812 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,991 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Darden 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
14K
1 in 23,991
Census rank
#2,812
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,459 bearers of the surname Darden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2812th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Darden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Darden
The surname Darden is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "deor," meaning "deer," and "denu," meaning "valley," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a valley frequented by deer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Darden can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as Dardene and Dardenne, indicating its evolution over time.
During the 13th century, the name Darden was associated with several notable individuals. Sir John Darden, a prominent landowner in Hertfordshire, was documented in records from 1275. Another notable figure was William Darden, who served as a member of the English Parliament in 1295, representing the county of Norfolk.
In the 16th century, the name Darden was found in several historical documents, including the records of the Church of England. One prominent individual from this period was Richard Darden, born in 1545, who served as a magistrate in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon and was a contemporary of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare.
The Darden name also has connections to various place names across England. For example, the village of Darden in Warwickshire may have derived its name from the surname, or vice versa. Additionally, the name shares similarities with the place name Derbyshire, which could suggest a potential link or origin.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Darden throughout history are:
1. Sir William Darden (1580-1643), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.
2. John Darden (1625-1692), an early English settler in Virginia, who established a prominent family lineage in the American colonies.
3. Colgate Whitehead Darden, Jr. (1897-1987), an American educator and the 54th Governor of Virginia, serving from 1942 to 1946.
4. Severn Parker Culver Darden (1929-2014), an American businessman and philanthropist, known for his work with the Darden Restaurants corporation.
5. Christine Darden (born 1942), an American mathematician, data analyst, and aeronautical engineer who contributed significantly to the development of supersonic flight at NASA.
While the surname Darden has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Darden
Among Census respondents with the surname Darden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Darden 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 Darden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.5% · 7,044
- White34.0% · 4,234
- Two or more races5.1% · 635
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 358
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Darden
Darden 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
#2,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,414
+762 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 4.55
Rank movement Down 60 places
2020
#2,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,459
-955 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 4.17
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,623 | 12,652 | 4.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,683 | 13,414 | 4.55 | +762 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 60 places |
| 2020 | #2,812 | 12,459 | 4.17 | -955 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 129 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 Darden 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 | #2,683 | #2,812 | -4.8% |
| Count | 13,414 | 12,459 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.55 | 4.17 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Darden bearers went from 13,414 to 12,459 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,683 to #2,812.
FAQ
Darden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Darden?
Name Census estimates that about 14,287 living Americans carry the surname Darden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,991 residents.
How common is Darden?
Darden ranks #2,812 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,459 people with the surname Darden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Darden.
Has Darden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Darden went from 13,414 recorded bearers to 12,459. That is a decrease of 955 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,683 to #2,812.
What does the Census say about the background of Darden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Darden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Darden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.5% (7,044 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Darden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.5%), White (34.0%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Darden (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 Darden mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "valley of oak trees" in Old English. 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 Darden (4.17 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 share the surname Darden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.