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

Dawson, 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 Dawson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dawson in America

Dawson is the 380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dawson surname appeared 83,182 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 28 people would have the surname Dawson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dawson 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 Dawson

The surname Dawson traces its origins to England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is believed to have emerged around the 12th century as a patronymic name, derived from the medieval given name "Daw," a diminutive form of the name David.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dawson can be found in various historical documents, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which mention individuals like Willelmus Daweson and Johanna Daweson. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname Dawson as it was compiled before the name came into use.

The surname Dawson may also have originated from certain place names, particularly in Yorkshire, where it was common practice to derive surnames from the names of villages or geographic features. For instance, the village of Dawson near Huddersfield, or the Dawson River in Westmorland, could have contributed to the formation of the name.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Dawson was William Dawson (c. 1510-1555), an English cleric and theologian who served as the Archbishop of York from 1555 until his death. Another prominent individual was Sir John Dawson (1556-1626), an English courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.

In the literary world, Peter Dawson (1882-1961), an Australian baritone and one of the most famous singers of the early 20th century, left a lasting legacy. William James Dawson (1854-1928), an American composer and choral conductor, is renowned for his work in preserving and promoting the Negro spiritual genre.

Lastly, Thomas Dawson (1725-1811), an English botanist and horticulturist, made significant contributions to the study of plants and their cultivation. He is particularly known for introducing many exotic plant species to Britain from various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dawson

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

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

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

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