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

Dashiell, 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 Dashiell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dashiell in America

Dashiell is the 17605th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dashiell surname appeared 1,596 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dashiell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dashiell 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 Dashiell

The surname Dashiell originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "dæges" meaning "day" and "hyll" meaning "hill." The name likely referred to a geographic location where the family resided, possibly a settlement situated on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Dashiell surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "de Dayhull" in these rolls, reflecting the earlier spelling.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, variations of the surname emerged, such as Dayhull, Dayhill, and Dayhill. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

The Dashiell surname gained notable recognition in the 16th century with the birth of Sir Robert Dashiell (1523-1589), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1580.

Another significant figure bearing the Dashiell surname was Sir Thomas Dashiell (1640-1711), an English judge and Member of Parliament. He is known for his contributions to the development of English common law.

In the 18th century, the Dashiell family established a presence in the American colonies. One notable member was Henry Dashiell (1714-1792), a wealthy landowner and planter from Maryland.

The 19th century brought forth Jeremiah Dashiell (1823-1895), an American politician who served as a U.S. Congressman from Mississippi during the Civil War era.

Notable figures in the 20th century include Alfred Dashiell (1901-1972), an American actor known for his roles in Western films, and Alfred Dashiell Jr. (1926-2005), a renowned jazz saxophonist and composer.

While the Dashiell surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals and families throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dashiell

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

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

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

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