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

Darker, 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 Darker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Darker in America

Darker is the 116201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Darker surname appeared 150 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 Darker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Darker 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 Darker

The surname Darker originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "deorc," meaning dark or swarthy, which was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a dark complexion or hair color.

The earliest recorded instances of the Darker surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1273, a William Darker was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, an ancient record of landowners and their properties. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which listed a John Darker as a taxpayer.

During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Derker, Derkere, and Derkare, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. One notable bearer of the name was Robert Darker, a landowner in Lincolnshire, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334.

In the 15th century, the surname Darker was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Darker, who was born in York around 1420 and served as a clerk in the city's guild.

The 16th century saw the emergence of several notable Darker families. In 1583, John Darker was recorded as a merchant in the city of Bristol, trading goods with other European countries. Another individual, William Darker (1547-1617), was a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the rector of Bourne Abbey in Lincolnshire.

During the 17th century, the Darker surname continued to spread across England. One remarkable figure was Robert Darker (1612-1688), a Puritan minister who emigrated to New England in 1635 and became a prominent religious leader in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

As the centuries passed, the Darker surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with some families relocating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Notable bearers of the name include Sir John Darker (1785-1857), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars, and Thomas Darker (1819-1892), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Darker

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

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 Darker 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 Darker 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 Darker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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