Find out how popular the last name Darius is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Darius.

Darius, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Darius surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Darius in America

Darius is the 28679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Darius surname appeared 831 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Darius.

We can also compare 2010 data for Darius to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Darius

The surname Darius has its origins in Persia, modern-day Iran, and dates back to the 6th century BC. It is derived from the ancient Persian word "Dara," which means "possessor" or "lord." The name is closely associated with the Achaemenid Dynasty, one of the most powerful empires in ancient history.

Darius the Great, also known as Darius I, was the third king of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 522 BC to 486 BC. He is renowned for his administrative reforms, construction projects, and military conquests. The famous Behistun Inscription, a multilingual inscription carved into a rock face, is considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries related to the Achaemenid Dynasty and provides valuable insights into Darius I's reign.

The name Darius also appears in several ancient Greek texts and historical records, such as the works of Herodotus and Xenophon. Darius III, the last king of the Achaemenid Empire, was defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, marking the end of the Persian Empire.

Over the centuries, the name Darius has been adopted by various individuals across different cultures and regions. For example, Darius Hystaspes, a Persian nobleman who served as a satrap (governor) under Darius I, is mentioned in the Behistun Inscription. Another notable figure was Darius the Mede, a biblical character mentioned in the Book of Daniel, who is said to have succeeded Belshazzar as the king of Babylon.

In more recent history, Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) was a French composer and teacher, known for his innovative and eclectic musical style. Darius Rucker (born 1966) is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish and for his successful solo career in country music.

Other notable individuals with the surname Darius include Darius Arya, an Iranian-American entrepreneur and co-founder of the online education platform edX; Darius Kazemi, an American artist and programmer known for his internet art and net.art projects; and Darius Dhlomo, a South African writer, poet, and intellectual who played a significant role in the development of Zulu literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Darius

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Darius.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Darius was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Darius has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Darius was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Darius, please contact us.

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