2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Davant
A Germanic surname derived from a topographic term meaning "of the valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Davant. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Davant 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.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Davant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Davant, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Davant
The surname Davant is believed to have originated in France, with records indicating its presence as early as the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "davant," meaning "before" or "in front of," suggesting a possible connection to a location or geographic feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Davant can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Vignory, a collection of medieval charters from the Abbey of Saint-Étienne in Vignory, France. This document, dating back to the 13th century, mentions individuals bearing the surname Davant.
During the 14th century, the name Davant appeared in various records across France, including the Livre des Métiers, a register of trades and professions in Paris. This suggests that individuals with the surname Davant were engaged in various occupations and trades within the city.
In the 15th century, the Davant surname appeared in the Nobiliaire de Normandie, a roll of nobility in the region of Normandy. This indicates that some members of the Davant family may have held noble status during this period.
One notable individual bearing the surname Davant was Jean Davant, a French playwright and poet who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, including tragedies and poetic compositions, were celebrated during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was François Davant, a French military officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1767, he rose through the ranks and achieved the rank of général de division (major general) before his death in 1823.
In the 18th century, the Davant surname appeared in the records of the Parlement of Paris, one of the most important judicial bodies in France at the time. This suggests that members of the Davant family may have held positions within the legal and judicial system during this period.
The name Davant can also be found in various regions of France, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. For example, the surname Davanteau is believed to be a variant of Davant, originating in the region of Brittany.
Throughout its history, the Davant surname has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Davant-la-Ville and Davant-le-Bourg, which may have influenced the development and spread of the name across different areas of France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Davant
Among Census respondents with the surname Davant, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Davant 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 Davant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 9
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Davant
Davant 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,775 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 12,775 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,354 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 Davant 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 | #144,141 | #146,495 | -1.6% |
| Count | 115 | 114 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Davant bearers went from 115 to 114 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #146,495.
FAQ
Davant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Davant?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Davant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Davant?
Davant ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Davant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Davant.
Has Davant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Davant went from 115 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Davant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Davant, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Davant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Davant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (7.9%), Black (2.6%). 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 Davant (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 Davant mean?
A Germanic surname derived from a topographic term meaning "of the valley". 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 Davant (0.04 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 Davant?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.