2000
#42,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 477
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Davidow
A Jewish surname derived from the Biblical name David.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 499 Americans carry the last name Davidow. That puts it at #51,662 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 686,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Davidow 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
499
1 in 686,882
Census rank
#51,662
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
435
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 435 bearers of the surname Davidow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51662nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Davidow, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Davidow
The surname Davidow has its origins in Russia and Eastern Europe, likely stemming from a patronymic form of the name David, which itself derives from the Hebrew word "Davidī" meaning "beloved." The earliest known instances of the name appear in records from the late 18th century in areas such as modern-day Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Davidow was Yakov Davidow, born in 1795 in the village of Lublin, Poland. He was a merchant and landowner, and his name appears in several property records from the early 19th century. Another early example is Rivka Davidow, born in 1811 in Minsk, Belarus, who was a midwife and herbalist known for her expertise in traditional medicine.
The name Davidow has several variations in spelling, including Davidovich, Davidovitch, and Davidov, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where it originated. These variations often arose from differences in transliteration from Cyrillic to Latin script or from regional dialects.
In the 19th century, the Davidow name appears in various historical documents and records, such as marriage registers, birth certificates, and property deeds. One notable individual was Isaak Davidow, born in 1828 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, who was a renowned rabbinical scholar and author of several works on Jewish law and philosophy.
Another prominent figure was Leah Davidow, born in 1865 in Vilnius, Lithuania, who was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She established one of the first schools for girls in the region and wrote extensively on the importance of education for women.
As the 20th century approached, the Davidow name began to spread more widely due to immigration and population movements. One example is Samuel Davidow, born in 1892 in Odessa, Ukraine, who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s and became a successful entrepreneur in the textile industry.
Throughout its history, the surname Davidow has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of the regions from which it originated. While its precise origins may be difficult to trace with certainty, the name has endured as a testament to the perseverance and resilience of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Davidow
Among Census respondents with the surname Davidow, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Davidow 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 Davidow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 395
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 23
- Two or more races2.8% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Davidow
Davidow 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
#49,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 422
-55 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 6,966 places
2020
#51,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 435
+13 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,939 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,757 | 477 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,723 | 422 | 0.14 | -55 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 6,966 places |
| 2020 | #51,662 | 435 | 0.15 | +13 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 1,939 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 Davidow 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 | #49,723 | #51,662 | -3.9% |
| Count | 422 | 435 | 3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.15 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Davidow bearers went from 422 to 435 (+3.1% change). The surname moved down 1,939 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,723 to #51,662.
FAQ
Davidow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Davidow?
Name Census estimates that about 499 living Americans carry the surname Davidow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 686,882 residents.
How common is Davidow?
Davidow ranks #51,662 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 435 people with the surname Davidow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (499), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Davidow.
Has Davidow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Davidow went from 422 recorded bearers to 435. That is an increase of 13 (+3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,723 to #51,662.
What does the Census say about the background of Davidow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Davidow, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Davidow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (395 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Davidow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Davidow (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 Davidow mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Biblical name David. 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 Davidow (0.15 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 Davidow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.