2000
#25,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 919
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Dawood
An Arabic surname derived from the name David, meaning "beloved" or "friend."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,074 Americans carry the last name Dawood. That puts it at #11,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,501 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dawood 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 Dawood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,501
Census rank
#11,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,681 bearers of the surname Dawood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dawood, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dawood
The surname Dawood has its origins in the Middle East, with roots tracing back to ancient Persia. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic name "Dawud," which itself is derived from the Hebrew name "David," meaning "beloved" or "uncle." The earliest known records of the name date back to the 7th century AD, during the early Islamic period.
In Persian literature, one of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the epic poem "Shahnameh" by Ferdowsi, written in the late 10th century. The poem refers to a character named Dawood, who was a renowned military commander and advisor to the legendary Persian king, Kaveh the Blacksmith.
During the medieval period, the name Dawood gained prominence in various parts of the Middle East and Central Asia. It is recorded in historical texts and documents from regions such as modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia. One notable figure bearing this surname was Amir Dawood Khan, a 14th-century military leader and governor of Ghazni, a region in present-day Afghanistan.
As the Islamic empires expanded, the name Dawood traveled with them, eventually reaching regions such as the Indian subcontinent. In the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal Empire, a prominent figure named Dawood Khan served as a military commander and governor under Akbar, one of the greatest Mughal rulers.
In the 18th century, the name Dawood gained recognition in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in regions such as Oman and Yemen. Historical records from this period mention individuals bearing the surname Dawood, who were involved in trade, politics, and religious scholarship.
Another notable figure with the surname Dawood was Muhammad Dawood Pasha, an Egyptian military leader and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Egypt in the late 19th century. He played a crucial role in modernizing the Egyptian army and implementing reforms during the reign of Khedive Ismail Pasha.
Throughout history, the surname Dawood has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including rulers, military leaders, scholars, and merchants. While the name has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to other regions and continues to be a prominent surname in various parts of the world today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dawood
Among Census respondents with the surname Dawood, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dawood 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 Dawood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.2% · 1,935
- Asian and Pacific Islander18.3% · 490
- Two or more races4.1% · 109
- Black or African American3.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dawood
Dawood 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
#16,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,797
+878 bearers (+95.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 9,196 places
2020
#11,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,681
+884 bearers (+49.2%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 4,838 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,304 | 919 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,108 | 1,797 | 0.61 | +878 bearers (+95.5%) | Up 9,196 places |
| 2020 | #11,270 | 2,681 | 0.90 | +884 bearers (+49.2%) | Up 4,838 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 Dawood 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 | #16,108 | #11,270 | 30.0% |
| Count | 1,797 | 2,681 | 49.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.90 | 47.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dawood bearers went from 1,797 to 2,681 (+49.2% change). The surname moved up 4,838 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,108 to #11,270.
FAQ
Dawood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dawood?
Name Census estimates that about 3,074 living Americans carry the surname Dawood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,501 residents.
How common is Dawood?
Dawood ranks #11,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,681 people with the surname Dawood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,074), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dawood.
Has Dawood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dawood went from 1,797 recorded bearers to 2,681. That is an increase of 884 (+49.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,108 to #11,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Dawood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dawood, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dawood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (1,935 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dawood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Dawood (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 Dawood mean?
An Arabic surname derived from the name David, meaning "beloved" or "friend." 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 Dawood (0.90 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 have the surname Dawood?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.