2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dayvault
A locational surname referring to a place name derived from old French "de val" meaning "of the valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Dayvault. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dayvault 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Dayvault in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dayvault, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dayvault
The surname DAYVAULT has its origins in France, emerging during the medieval period, approximately between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the French words "de" and "vault," potentially referring to a geographical location or a specific landmark associated with a valley or dale.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DAYVAULT can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Nîmes, a historical census document from the city of Nîmes, dated around the mid-13th century. This record suggests that the name may have originated in the southern regions of France, possibly in the Occitanie area.
During the 14th century, the name DAYVAULT appeared in various charters and legal documents across different regions of France, indicating its gradual spread and establishment. One notable reference is found in the Archives Nationales de France, where a certain Jean DAYVAULT was mentioned in a land transaction dating back to 1375.
As the centuries progressed, the DAYVAULT surname continued to be documented in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and court proceedings. In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing this name was Jacques DAYVAULT (1520-1587), a renowned scholar and philosopher from the city of Lyon, renowned for his contributions to the Renaissance humanist movement.
Another notable individual was Pierre DAYVAULT (1638-1712), a French military officer who served under King Louis XIV and played a crucial role in the Nine Years' War against the Grand Alliance. His bravery and leadership were widely recognized during his time.
In the 18th century, the DAYVAULT name gained further prominence with the birth of Marie-Antoinette DAYVAULT (1749-1821), a celebrated French artist known for her intricate tapestries and needlework. Her works were commissioned by members of the aristocracy and can still be found in various museums and private collections across Europe.
The 19th century saw the emergence of François DAYVAULT (1812-1879), a prominent French architect who designed several iconic buildings in Paris, including the Palais Garnier, the famous opera house. His architectural style blended elements of classicism and modernity, leaving a lasting impact on the cityscape of Paris.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Émile DAYVAULT (1857-1923), a renowned botanist and horticulturist from the Bordeaux region. He is credited with developing several new varieties of grapes and making significant advancements in the field of viticulture, which greatly benefited the French wine industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dayvault
Among Census respondents with the surname Dayvault, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Dayvault 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 Dayvault surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 105
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dayvault
Dayvault 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-8 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,841 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-24 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 13,841 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 21,610 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 Dayvault 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 | #131,379 | #152,989 | -16.4% |
| Count | 129 | 105 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dayvault bearers went from 129 to 105 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 21,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #152,989.
FAQ
Dayvault surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dayvault?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Dayvault. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Dayvault?
Dayvault ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Dayvault. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dayvault.
Has Dayvault become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dayvault went from 129 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 24 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Dayvault?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dayvault, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Dayvault in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dayvault appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Dayvault (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 Dayvault mean?
A locational surname referring to a place name derived from old French "de val" meaning "of the valley". 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 Dayvault (0.04 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 Dayvault?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.