2000
#8,832
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,414
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Dart
An English occupational surname for a maker of darts or arrows, or a nickname for a skilled archer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,008 Americans carry the last name Dart. That puts it at #8,984 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dart 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 Dart with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,518
Census rank
#8,984
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,495 bearers of the surname Dart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8984th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dart, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dart
The surname DART is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "dærtan," which means "to throw or hurl," potentially referring to someone who was skilled in throwing darts or spears.
The name is found in various early records and documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Dert." This suggests that the surname was already in use during the medieval period and may have been associated with certain occupations or trades related to archery or hunting.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DART was John Dart, a landowner mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, in the late 14th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was William Dart, a merchant from London who was active in the 15th century and is mentioned in several historical records from that time.
In the 16th century, the DART surname can be found in various parish records and official documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1524, which list individuals like John Dart from Gloucestershire and Thomas Dart from Somerset.
The name DART is also associated with several place names in England, including Dartmouth in Devon, Dartford in Kent, and the River Dart in Devon. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Some notable individuals with the surname DART throughout history include:
1. Valentinus Dart (c. 1600-1652), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
2. Benjamin Dart (1716-1791), an English engraver and portrait painter who worked in London.
3. John Dart (1805-1884), an English writer and antiquarian who published several works on the history and antiquities of Westmorland and Cumberland.
4. Ralph Dart (1848-1912), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.
5. Justin Dart, Jr. (1930-2002), an American businessman and prominent advocate for disability rights, who played a key role in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While the surname DART has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely associated with occupations or skills related to archery or hunting.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dart
Among Census respondents with the surname Dart, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dart 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 Dart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 3,028
- Two or more races4.3% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 135
- Black or African American3.0% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dart
Dart 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
#9,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,594
+180 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 260 places
2020
#8,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,495
-99 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,832 | 3,414 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,092 | 3,594 | 1.22 | +180 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 260 places |
| 2020 | #8,984 | 3,495 | 1.17 | -99 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 108 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 Dart 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 | #9,092 | #8,984 | 1.2% |
| Count | 3,594 | 3,495 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.17 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dart bearers went from 3,594 to 3,495 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,092 to #8,984.
FAQ
Dart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dart?
Name Census estimates that about 4,008 living Americans carry the surname Dart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,518 residents.
How common is Dart?
Dart ranks #8,984 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,495 people with the surname Dart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,008), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Dart.
Has Dart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dart went from 3,594 recorded bearers to 3,495. That is a decrease of 99 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,092 to #8,984.
What does the Census say about the background of Dart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dart, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (3,028 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dart (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 Dart mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker of darts or arrows, or a nickname for a skilled archer. 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 Dart (1.17 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 have the last name Dart?
Find out how many people have the last name Dart on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.