2000
#9,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,338
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Dare
An English surname derived from the Old English word "dēor," meaning brave, bold, or daring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,658 Americans carry the last name Dare. That puts it at #9,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,700 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dare 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 Dare with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,700
Census rank
#9,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,190 bearers of the surname Dare in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dare, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dare
The surname "Dare" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "daru" or "deor," meaning a wild animal or deer. It is believed to have first appeared as a surname in the 12th century, primarily used as a nickname for someone who possessed certain characteristics associated with a deer, such as swiftness or shyness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Dare" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex, dating back to 1195, where it appears as "Deor." This suggests that the name was already in use during the late 12th century in the southern English county of Sussex.
In the 13th century, the surname "Dare" started to appear in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a "William Dere" in Oxfordshire. This variant spelling, "Dere," was likely an earlier form of the name.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname "Dare." However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as "Dereham" in Norfolk and "Derebury" in Shropshire.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "Dare" was John Dare, a merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in the city's records from 1346 to 1379.
During the 16th century, the name gained prominence with Sir Edward Dare (c. 1510-1586), an English lawyer and member of parliament who served as Clerk of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Nathaniel Dare (c. 1610-1659), an English colonial leader and one of the earliest settlers of Virginia. He served as a member of the Council of State in the Virginia Colony and was involved in the establishment of the Dare County, named after him.
In the 18th century, Richard Dare (1718-1786) was a prominent English engraver and painter, known for his landscape illustrations and portraits.
Throughout the 19th century, the surname "Dare" was associated with various literary figures, including Mary Dare (1788-1858), an English poet, and Ethel Dare (1863-1952), an American author and playwright.
While the surname "Dare" has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonization and migration. Today, it can be found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dare
Among Census respondents with the surname Dare, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dare 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 Dare surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.5% · 2,503
- Black or African American7.8% · 249
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.1% · 195
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 130
- Two or more races3.3% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dare
Dare 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
#9,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,472
+134 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 364 places
2020
#9,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,190
-282 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 344 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,004 | 3,338 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,368 | 3,472 | 1.18 | +134 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 364 places |
| 2020 | #9,712 | 3,190 | 1.07 | -282 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 344 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 Dare 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 | #9,368 | #9,712 | -3.7% |
| Count | 3,472 | 3,190 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.07 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dare bearers went from 3,472 to 3,190 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 344 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,368 to #9,712.
FAQ
Dare surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dare?
Name Census estimates that about 3,658 living Americans carry the surname Dare. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,700 residents.
How common is Dare?
Dare ranks #9,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,190 people with the surname Dare. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Dare.
Has Dare become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dare went from 3,472 recorded bearers to 3,190. That is a decrease of 282 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,368 to #9,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Dare?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dare, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dare in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (2,503 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dare appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.5%), Black (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%). 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 Dare (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 Dare mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "dēor," meaning brave, bold, or daring. 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 Dare (1.07 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 Dare?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.