2000
#11,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Don
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Irish word "donn" meaning "brown" or "chief."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,558 Americans carry the last name Don. That puts it at #13,139 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Don 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 Don with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,993
Census rank
#13,139
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,231 bearers of the surname Don in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13139th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Don, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Don
Among Census respondents with the surname Don, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Don 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 Don surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White39.6% · 884
- Hispanic or Latino23.8% · 532
- Asian and Pacific Islander23.8% · 530
- Black or African American8.6% · 192
- Two or more races3.3% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Don
Don 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
#14,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,076
-428 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 2,875 places
2020
#13,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,231
+155 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 1,259 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,523 | 2,504 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,398 | 2,076 | 0.70 | -428 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 2,875 places |
| 2020 | #13,139 | 2,231 | 0.75 | +155 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 1,259 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 Don 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 | #14,398 | #13,139 | 8.7% |
| Count | 2,076 | 2,231 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.75 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Don bearers went from 2,076 to 2,231 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 1,259 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,398 to #13,139.
FAQ
Don surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Don?
Name Census estimates that about 2,558 living Americans carry the surname Don. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,993 residents.
How common is Don?
Don ranks #13,139 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,231 people with the surname Don. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,558), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Don.
Has Don become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Don went from 2,076 recorded bearers to 2,231. That is an increase of 155 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,398 to #13,139.
What does the Census say about the background of Don?
Among Census respondents with the surname Don, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%). 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 Don in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.6% (884 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Don appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (39.6%), Hispanic (23.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%). 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 Don (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 Don mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Irish word "donn" meaning "brown" or "chief." 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 Don (0.75 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 Don?
You can see how many people have the surname Don on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.