2000
#22,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Donat
A surname with French and German roots meaning "gift" or "gift of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,334 Americans carry the last name Donat. That puts it at #22,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 256,937 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donat 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
1.3K
1 in 256,937
Census rank
#22,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,163 bearers of the surname Donat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donat, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donat
The surname Donat is of French origin, with its roots traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin name "Donatus," which means "given" or "gifted." The name was initially associated with individuals who were either born on a significant religious day or were considered a gift from God.
In the early days, the name Donat was predominantly found in the regions of Provence and Languedoc in southern France. Historical records indicate that it was often spelled as "Donat" or "Donnat" during those times. The name's earliest known appearance was in the Benedictine monastery records of Marseille, dated around 1150.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Donat was Pierre Donat, a renowned scholar and theologian from Montpellier, who lived in the late 13th century. He authored several treatises on canon law and was highly regarded in academic circles.
Another notable figure with the surname Donat was Jean Donat, a French soldier and explorer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to the New World in the 16th century. He played a crucial role in establishing early French settlements in Canada.
In the 17th century, the name Donat was closely associated with the French nobility. The Donat family of Provence held significant land and titles during this period. One of the most prominent members was Louis Donat, Marquis de Rochemure, who served as a military commander under King Louis XIV.
The surname Donat also appears in several historical documents from the Middle Ages, including the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a collection of charters and deeds from the 11th to the 14th centuries. This suggests that the name was well-established in the Provençal region during that time.
In the realm of arts and literature, one cannot overlook the contributions of the French writer and philosopher, Alphonse Donat, who lived from 1805 to 1889. His works on aesthetics and philosophy had a profound influence on the intellectual landscape of 19th-century France.
Throughout history, the surname Donat has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, explorers, nobility, and artists. While its origins can be traced back to southern France, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donat
Among Census respondents with the surname Donat, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Donat 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 Donat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 976
- Black or African American8.9% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 46
- Two or more races2.1% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donat
Donat 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
#21,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,192
+154 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 1,188 places
2020
#22,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,163
-29 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 819 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,999 | 1,038 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,811 | 1,192 | 0.40 | +154 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 1,188 places |
| 2020 | #22,630 | 1,163 | 0.39 | -29 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 819 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 Donat 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 | #21,811 | #22,630 | -3.8% |
| Count | 1,192 | 1,163 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.39 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donat bearers went from 1,192 to 1,163 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 819 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,811 to #22,630.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Donat
FAQ
Donat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donat?
Name Census estimates that about 1,334 living Americans carry the surname Donat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 256,937 residents.
How common is Donat?
Donat ranks #22,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,163 people with the surname Donat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,334), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Donat.
Has Donat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donat went from 1,192 recorded bearers to 1,163. That is a decrease of 29 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,811 to #22,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Donat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donat, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Donat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (976 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (8.9%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Donat (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 Donat mean?
A surname with French and German roots meaning "gift" or "gift of God." 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 Donat (0.39 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 Donat?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.