2000
#14,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,825
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Donis
Greek surname derived from the given name Dionysios, referring to Dionysos, the god of wine in Greek mythology.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,277 Americans carry the last name Donis. That puts it at #10,679 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donis 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
3.3K
1 in 104,594
Census rank
#10,679
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,858 bearers of the surname Donis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10679th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.9%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donis
The surname DONIS has its origins in the Latin name Donatus, which means "given" or "granted." It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The name likely originated as a nickname or a baptismal name given to children who were considered a gift from God.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DONIS can be found in the Florentine records of the 13th century, where a certain Donato di Piero DONIS is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the name DONIS gained prominence with the birth of Battista DONIS (1350-1427), a Florentine merchant and banker. He was a prominent figure in the city's economic and political spheres, and his descendants continued to be influential in the following centuries.
The name DONIS spread beyond Italy in the 16th century, with the migration of Italian families to other parts of Europe. In Spain, for instance, the name was adopted as Donis, and it is recorded that a certain Juan Donis was a member of the Spanish Inquisition in the late 16th century.
Another notable figure with the surname DONIS was Girolamo DONIS (1570-1642), an Italian painter and architect who worked in Rome and Naples. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout Italy.
In the 17th century, the name DONIS appeared in the English records, possibly brought over by Italian immigrants. One example is that of John DONIS (1625-1697), an English writer and translator who published works on various subjects, including philosophy and theology.
A prominent figure in the 18th century was Carlo DONIS (1718-1785), an Italian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Accademia delle Scienze di Torino.
In the 19th century, the name DONIS continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Alessandro DONIS (1820-1892), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Senate.
Throughout its history, the surname DONIS has maintained its Italian roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, artists, scholars, and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donis
Among Census respondents with the surname Donis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.9%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Donis 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 Donis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.0% · 2,400
- White12.9% · 369
- Black or African American2.5% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
- Two or more races0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donis
Donis 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
#11,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,884
+1,059 bearers (+58.0%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 3,851 places
2020
#10,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,858
-26 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 347 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,877 | 1,825 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,026 | 2,884 | 0.98 | +1,059 bearers (+58.0%) | Up 3,851 places |
| 2020 | #10,679 | 2,858 | 0.96 | -26 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 347 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 Donis 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 | #11,026 | #10,679 | 3.1% |
| Count | 2,884 | 2,858 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.96 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donis bearers went from 2,884 to 2,858 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 347 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,026 to #10,679.
FAQ
Donis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,277 living Americans carry the surname Donis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,594 residents.
How common is Donis?
Donis ranks #10,679 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,858 people with the surname Donis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Donis.
Has Donis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donis went from 2,884 recorded bearers to 2,858. That is a decrease of 26 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,026 to #10,679.
What does the Census say about the background of Donis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.9%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Donis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (2,400 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.0%), White (12.9%), Black (2.5%). 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 Donis (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 Donis mean?
Greek surname derived from the given name Dionysios, referring to Dionysos, the god of wine in Greek mythology. 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 Donis (0.96 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 Donis?
Find out how many people have the last name Donis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.