2000
#7,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,016
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Dave
A diminutive of the given name David, derived from the Hebrew "beloved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,873 Americans carry the last name Dave. That puts it at #5,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,870 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dave 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 Dave with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,870
Census rank
#5,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,994 bearers of the surname Dave in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dave, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and White (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dave
The surname DAVE is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the medieval personal name David, which is derived from the Hebrew name "Davīd" meaning "beloved". The name David was popular among the Normans and was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname DAVE can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Roger Dave, who was mentioned in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.
In the 14th century, the surname DAVE appeared in various forms, such as Davey, Davie, and Davyes, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable individual from this period was John Davye, a landowner from Oxfordshire, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wootton in 1348.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname DAVE continued to be prevalent in various parts of England. Notable bearers of this surname included William Dave, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1589, and Thomas Dave, a landowner from Gloucestershire who was recorded in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1672.
In the 18th century, the surname DAVE spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable individual from this period was Robert Dave, a Scottish poet and author born in 1728, who is remembered for his works on Scottish folklore and traditions.
As the British Empire expanded, the surname DAVE was carried to various parts of the world by settlers and explorers. One notable bearer of this surname was Captain James Dave, an English explorer and navigator who was born in 1765 and is known for his expeditions to the South Pacific.
Other notable individuals with the surname DAVE throughout history include Sir John Dave (1801-1879), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Southampton; William Dave (1825-1905), an English architect known for designing several notable buildings in London; and Elizabeth Dave (1856-1932), a pioneering British educator and advocate for women's education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dave
Among Census respondents with the surname Dave, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and White (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dave 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 Dave surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.7% · 4,896
- Black or African American7.0% · 420
- White6.1% · 366
- Two or more races3.0% · 179
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dave
Dave 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
#6,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,218
+1,202 bearers (+29.9%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Up 1,126 places
2020
#5,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,994
+776 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Up 906 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,630 | 4,016 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,504 | 5,218 | 1.77 | +1,202 bearers (+29.9%) | Up 1,126 places |
| 2020 | #5,598 | 5,994 | 2.01 | +776 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 906 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 Dave 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 | #6,504 | #5,598 | 13.9% |
| Count | 5,218 | 5,994 | 14.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 2.01 | 13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dave bearers went from 5,218 to 5,994 (+14.9% change). The surname moved up 906 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,504 to #5,598.
FAQ
Dave surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dave?
Name Census estimates that about 6,873 living Americans carry the surname Dave. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,870 residents.
How common is Dave?
Dave ranks #5,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 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 5,994 people with the surname Dave. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,873), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 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 Dave.
Has Dave become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dave went from 5,218 recorded bearers to 5,994. That is an increase of 776 (+14.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,504 to #5,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Dave?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dave, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and White (6.1%). 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 Dave in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (4,896 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dave appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.7%), Black (7.0%), White (6.1%). 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 Dave (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 Dave mean?
A diminutive of the given name David, derived from the Hebrew "beloved." 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 Dave (2.01 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 Americans have the surname Dave?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.