2000
#8,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,773
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Dones
Of Spanish origin, referring to a generous or giving person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,601 Americans carry the last name Dones. That puts it at #7,931 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,496 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dones 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 Dones with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,496
Census rank
#7,931
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,012 bearers of the surname Dones in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7931st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dones, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.3%. The next largest groups are White (23.9%) and Black (21.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dones
The surname DONES is of English origin, first recorded in the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "dun" meaning a hill or low ridge. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely hailed from a place situated on or near a hill.
The DONES surname has several early recorded examples, including Willelmus de Dunes found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and locations of individuals during that time.
Another early reference can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where the name is recorded as Dunes. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records that documented landholders and their possessions across various counties in England.
During the 13th century, the DONES surname also appeared in various forms, such as Dones, Dones, and Dons, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. This diversity in spelling was common before the standardization of English orthography.
One noteworthy figure bearing the DONES surname was Sir John Dones (c. 1330-1390), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Leicestershire in 1377. He held estates in several counties, including Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Derbyshire.
In the 15th century, the DONES surname can be found in the records of the College of Arms, the official repository of genealogical and heraldic records in England. This suggests that some branches of the family were granted coats of arms, indicating their status and influence during that period.
Another individual of note was Thomas Dones (c. 1490-1556), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1542 until his death in 1556. He was highly regarded for his scholarly contributions and his role in the college's administration.
The DONES surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Dunes in Staffordshire and Duns in Northumberland. These place names likely served as the original locales from which the surname originated, further reinforcing its locational origins.
Overall, the DONES surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the English countryside, with references dating back to the 12th century. Its locational origins and the presence of notable figures bearing this name have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dones
Among Census respondents with the surname Dones, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.3%. The next largest groups are White (23.9%) and Black (21.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dones 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 Dones surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino45.3% · 1,818
- White23.9% · 957
- Black or African American21.1% · 848
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.2% · 288
- Two or more races1.9% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dones
Dones 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
#6,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,813
+1,040 bearers (+27.6%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Up 1,125 places
2020
#7,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,012
-801 bearers (-16.6%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 960 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,096 | 3,773 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,971 | 4,813 | 1.63 | +1,040 bearers (+27.6%) | Up 1,125 places |
| 2020 | #7,931 | 4,012 | 1.34 | -801 bearers (-16.6%) | Down 960 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 Dones 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 | #6,971 | #7,931 | -13.8% |
| Count | 4,813 | 4,012 | -16.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.34 | -17.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dones bearers went from 4,813 to 4,012 (-16.6% change). The surname moved down 960 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,971 to #7,931.
FAQ
Dones surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dones?
Name Census estimates that about 4,601 living Americans carry the surname Dones. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,496 residents.
How common is Dones?
Dones ranks #7,931 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 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 4,012 people with the surname Dones. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,601), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 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 Dones.
Has Dones become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dones went from 4,813 recorded bearers to 4,012. That is a decrease of 801 (-16.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,971 to #7,931.
What does the Census say about the background of Dones?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dones, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.3%. The next largest groups are White (23.9%) and Black (21.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dones in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.3% (1,818 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dones appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (45.3%), White (23.9%), Black (21.1%). 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 Dones (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 Dones mean?
Of Spanish origin, referring to a generous or giving person. 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 Dones (1.34 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 last name Dones?
See how many people are called Dones on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.