2000
#7,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,348
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.61
Uncommon Last name
Das
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "dasa," meaning "servant of God" or "devotee."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,591 Americans carry the last name Das. That puts it at #2,967 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,219 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Das 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 Das with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,219
Census rank
#2,967
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,852 bearers of the surname Das in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2967th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Das, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Das
The surname DAS is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Bengal region, during the 12th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "dasa," which means "servant" or "slave." In ancient times, it was common for people to be identified by their occupations or social status, and the surname DAS was likely given to individuals who were servants or worked in service-related roles.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname DAS can be traced back to medieval Bengali manuscripts and records from the Pala and Sena dynasties, which ruled over parts of present-day Bangladesh and West Bengal between the 8th and 12th centuries. These ancient texts often referred to individuals with the surname DAS, indicating its widespread use among certain communities during that period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname DAS was a Bengali poet and philosopher named Bipradas Pipilai, who lived in the 15th century. He is renowned for his literary works, including the famous epic poem "Manasavijaya." Another notable figure was Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833), a Bengali Renaissance man who played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance and was a pioneering figure in the movement against social injustice and superstition.
In the 16th century, the surname DAS was also found in parts of present-day Odisha and Assam, where it was used by different communities and castes. During this period, the name appeared in various local records and genealogical documents, indicating its widespread adoption across the region.
As people migrated and settled in different parts of the Indian subcontinent, the surname DAS spread to other areas, including present-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Notable individuals with this surname include the renowned Bengali writer and social reformer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894), who is considered a key figure in the Bengali Renaissance and is credited with writing the national song of India, "Vande Mataram."
Another prominent figure with the surname DAS was the Indian mathematician and astronomer Radhanath Siddhanta Sarasvati (1594-1668), who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and wrote several treatises on mathematics and astronomy.
Throughout its history, the surname DAS has been associated with various professions, including literature, philosophy, social reform, mathematics, and astronomy, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals carrying this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Das
Among Census respondents with the surname Das, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Das 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 Das surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.3% · 10,580
- White5.0% · 596
- Two or more races3.3% · 386
- Black or African American1.3% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Das
Das 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
#4,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,289
+2,941 bearers (+67.6%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Up 2,254 places
2020
#2,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,852
+4,563 bearers (+62.6%)
Per 100,000 3.97
Rank movement Up 1,870 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,091 | 4,348 | 1.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,837 | 7,289 | 2.47 | +2,941 bearers (+67.6%) | Up 2,254 places |
| 2020 | #2,967 | 11,852 | 3.97 | +4,563 bearers (+62.6%) | Up 1,870 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 Das 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 | #4,837 | #2,967 | 38.7% |
| Count | 7,289 | 11,852 | 62.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.47 | 3.97 | 60.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Das bearers went from 7,289 to 11,852 (+62.6% change). The surname moved up 1,870 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,837 to #2,967.
FAQ
Das surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Das?
Name Census estimates that about 13,591 living Americans carry the surname Das. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,219 residents.
How common is Das?
Das ranks #2,967 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,852 people with the surname Das. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,591), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Das.
Has Das become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Das went from 7,289 recorded bearers to 11,852. That is an increase of 4,563 (+62.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,837 to #2,967.
What does the Census say about the background of Das?
Among Census respondents with the surname Das, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Das in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (10,580 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Das appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.3%), White (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Das (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 Das mean?
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "dasa," meaning "servant of God" or "devotee." 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 Das (3.97 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 share the surname Das?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.