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

Don, 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 Don surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Don in America

Don is the 14398th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Don surname appeared 2,076 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Don.

We can also compare 2010 data for Don 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 Don

The surname DON originates from the British Isles, particularly England and Scotland, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "donn," meaning brown or brown-haired, and was initially used as a nickname for someone with that hair color.

In its earliest recorded forms, the surname appeared as "Don" and "Donne" in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273. It is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Done" in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

The name Don has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals was William Don (c. 1190-1258), a Scottish clergyman who served as Bishop of Argyll and later became Lord Chancellor of Scotland.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Alexander Don (c. 1450-1530), a Scottish diplomat and soldier who played a significant role in the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 15th century. He was knighted by King James IV of Scotland for his military service.

In the literary world, the English poet and satirist John Donne (1572-1631) is perhaps the most famous bearer of the name. His works, including poems such as "Death, be not proud" and "The Flea," have had a lasting impact on English literature.

The Don surname has also been associated with notable figures in the scientific community. George Don (1764-1814) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector who made significant contributions to the study of British and Indian flora.

In the realm of art, Sir Robert Don (1778-1859) was a Scottish painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. He was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Academy and served as its president from 1848 to 1851.

While the Don surname originated in the British Isles, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the brown-haired individuals of England and Scotland in the 12th century and earlier.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Don

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

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

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

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