2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dayen
A locational surname derived from the German word "Dahn", referring to an individual from the village of Dahn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Dayen. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dayen 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Dayen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dayen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dayen
The surname DAYEN originated in the region of Normandy, France in the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "daye" or "daye(e)," which referred to a nurse or nursemaid. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a nurse or cared for children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DAYEN can be found in the ancient Norman rolls from the 11th century. The name appears as "Dayem" in these records, indicating that the spelling has evolved over time. There are also references to the name in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
During the Middle Ages, the DAYEN family was prominent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France. Several notable individuals bore this surname, including Guillaume DAYEN, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the 14th century. Another prominent figure was Jean DAYEN, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century and authored several works on religious subjects.
As the DAYEN family spread across Europe, the name took on various spellings and variations. In England, it was sometimes recorded as "Dayan" or "Dayen," while in Germany it appeared as "Daien" or "Daihen." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was Robert DAYEN, who was born in Dorset in 1492. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable Englishman with this surname was Sir Thomas DAYEN (1560-1635), who was a renowned navigator and explorer during the Age of Discovery.
In France, the DAYEN family produced several notable individuals, including Pierre DAYEN (1622-1698), a Jesuit priest and philosopher who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics. Another French DAYEN of note was Marie-Anne DAYEN (1701-1768), a renowned painter and portraitist who was patronized by the French court.
While the surname DAYEN is not as common today as it once was, it continues to be found in various parts of Europe, particularly in France, England, and Germany. The name serves as a reminder of the rich cultural and historical heritage of these regions, and its origins as an occupational surname reflect the importance of nursing and childcare in medieval society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dayen
Among Census respondents with the surname Dayen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dayen 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 Dayen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dayen
Dayen 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,699 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 17,699 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,554 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 Dayen 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 | #152,628 | #154,182 | -1.0% |
| Count | 107 | 103 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dayen bearers went from 107 to 103 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 1,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,182.
FAQ
Dayen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dayen?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Dayen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Dayen?
Dayen ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Dayen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dayen.
Has Dayen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dayen went from 107 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Dayen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dayen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Dayen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dayen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Dayen (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 Dayen mean?
A locational surname derived from the German word "Dahn", referring to an individual from the village of Dahn. 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 Dayen (0.03 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 common is the surname Dayen?
You can see how many people have the surname Dayen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.