2000
#4,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,568
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.43
Rare Last name
Darr
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made darts or lived near a deer park.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,209 Americans carry the last name Darr. That puts it at #5,354 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,545 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Darr 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 Darr with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,545
Census rank
#5,354
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,287 bearers of the surname Darr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5354th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Darr, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Darr
The surname Darr originates from Germany, with records dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the old German word "Darre," which translates to "dry" or "arid," possibly referring to someone who lived in a dry or arid region.
The name first appeared in historical records in the 12th century, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Johannes Darr, a landowner in the village of Dörrauen, near the city of Cottbus, mentioned in a document from 1238.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name spread across various regions of Germany, with variations in spelling like Darre, Dörr, and Dörre. It was also found in areas of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic, which were part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time.
In the 15th century, the surname Darr appeared in the Berne Shaker Records, a document detailing the activities of a religious community in Berne, Switzerland. One notable individual from this period was Hans Darr, a merchant and member of the Berne City Council, who lived from 1425 to 1491.
The 16th century saw the name Darr gain prominence in the city of Nuremberg, a center of trade and craftsmanship in southern Germany. Johann Darr (1495-1568) was a renowned goldsmith and engraver, known for his intricate metalwork and contributions to the Renaissance art movement.
In the 17th century, the surname Darr was found in the records of the University of Heidelberg, with several scholars and academics bearing the name. One notable figure was Johann Georg Darr (1637-1701), a professor of law and author of various legal treatises.
The 18th century brought forth Johann Philipp Darr (1725-1789), a German composer and organist who served in the court of the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. His works include numerous church cantatas and organ compositions.
During the 19th century, Friedrich Darr (1818-1892) gained recognition as a prominent German landscape painter, known for his depictions of the Black Forest region and the Bavarian Alps.
Throughout history, the surname Darr has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, reflecting its wide distribution across German-speaking regions and its enduring presence over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Darr
Among Census respondents with the surname Darr, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Darr 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 Darr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 5,712
- Two or more races3.2% · 204
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 91
- Black or African American1.2% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Darr
Darr 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
#5,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,677
+109 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.26
Rank movement Down 311 places
2020
#5,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,287
-390 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Down 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,916 | 6,568 | 2.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,227 | 6,677 | 2.26 | +109 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 311 places |
| 2020 | #5,354 | 6,287 | 2.10 | -390 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 127 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 Darr 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 | #5,227 | #5,354 | -2.4% |
| Count | 6,677 | 6,287 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.26 | 2.10 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Darr bearers went from 6,677 to 6,287 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,227 to #5,354.
FAQ
Darr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Darr?
Name Census estimates that about 7,209 living Americans carry the surname Darr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,545 residents.
How common is Darr?
Darr ranks #5,354 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,287 people with the surname Darr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Darr.
Has Darr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Darr went from 6,677 recorded bearers to 6,287. That is a decrease of 390 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,227 to #5,354.
What does the Census say about the background of Darr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Darr, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Darr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (5,712 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Darr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Darr (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 Darr mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made darts or lived near a deer park. 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 Darr (2.10 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 are called Darr?
You can see how many people are called Darr on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.