2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Douk
A surname potentially derived from the Greek word "doukas" meaning leader or chief.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Douk. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Douk 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Douk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Douk, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and White (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Douk
The surname DOUK is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "doek," meaning "cloth" or "fabric," suggesting that the name may have been associated with a profession or trade related to textiles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DOUK surname can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland in the late 1600s. Historical records from this region mention a family by the name of Douk, which was likely an early spelling variation of the surname.
In the 18th century, the DOUK name began to appear in various parts of Europe, including Germany and France. This could be attributed to migration patterns or cultural exchange during that time period. One notable individual was Johannes DOUK, a German scholar born in 1712, who wrote extensively on the subject of philosophy and ethics.
By the 19th century, the DOUK surname had made its way to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One of the earliest documented instances of the name in North America was that of William DOUK, a Scottish immigrant who settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the early 1800s.
Another prominent figure with the DOUK surname was Hendrik DOUK, a Dutch explorer and cartographer born in 1825. He is known for his detailed maps of the East Indies region, which were crucial for navigation and trade during that era.
In the 20th century, the DOUK name continued to be found in various parts of the world, including the United Kingdom and Australia. One notable individual was Margaret DOUK, a British author and playwright born in 1910, whose works often explored themes of social justice and feminism.
It is worth noting that while the DOUK surname may have originated from the Dutch word for "cloth," over time, it could have taken on different meanings or associations depending on the region and cultural context in which it was used. Additionally, the spelling of the name may have undergone slight variations across different languages and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Douk
Among Census respondents with the surname Douk, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and White (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Douk 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 Douk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.8% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- White5.1% · 6
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Douk
Douk appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 950 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 950 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 Douk 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 | #145,220 | #144,270 | 0.7% |
| Count | 114 | 117 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Douk bearers went from 114 to 117 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 950 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #144,270.
FAQ
Douk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Douk?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Douk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Douk?
Douk ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Douk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Douk.
Has Douk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Douk went from 114 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Douk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Douk, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and White (5.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Douk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Douk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.8%), Hispanic (6.0%), White (5.1%). 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 Douk (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 Douk mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Greek word "doukas" meaning leader 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 Douk (0.04 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 Douk?
If you just want to know how common the surname Douk is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.