2000
#12,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Dragon
A nickname-derived surname referring to a fierce or brave person, or one with a connection to the creature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,663 Americans carry the last name Dragon. That puts it at #12,697 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,710 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dragon 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 Dragon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,710
Census rank
#12,697
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,322 bearers of the surname Dragon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12697th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dragon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dragon
The surname DRAGON has its origins in England, with records dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old English word "draca," which means "dragon" or "serpent." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who was fierce or formidable in battle, or perhaps to someone who bore a dragon symbol on their coat of arms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DRAGON surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Drago." This suggests that the name was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the DRAGON surname began to spread across various regions of England, with variations in spelling such as "Dragoun" and "Dragone." These variations reflect the way the name was pronounced and recorded by local scribes.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the DRAGON surname was Sir William Dragon, a knight who fought alongside Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Sir William's bravery and valor on the battlefield likely contributed to the prestige associated with the DRAGON name.
Another prominent individual was John Dragon, a wealthy merchant who lived in London during the 16th century. He is mentioned in several historical records, including the City of London's archives, where his name appears in connection with various business transactions and property ownership.
The DRAGON surname can also be found in the historical records of Warwickshire, where a family by the name of Dragon resided in the village of Stratford-upon-Avon during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This coincides with the lifetime of William Shakespeare, leading some to speculate that the playwright may have been familiar with the DRAGON family.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the DRAGON surname was Sir John Dragon, a member of the British Royal Navy. He served with distinction during the Seven Years' War and was later appointed as the Governor of Newfoundland in 1765.
Throughout its history, the DRAGON surname has been associated with strength, courage, and a formidable presence, reflecting the symbolic meaning of the dragon in English folklore and heraldry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dragon
Among Census respondents with the surname Dragon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dragon 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 Dragon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.4% · 1,936
- Black or African American4.8% · 112
- Two or more races4.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dragon
Dragon 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
#12,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,475
+162 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 193 places
2020
#12,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,322
-153 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 177 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,327 | 2,313 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,520 | 2,475 | 0.84 | +162 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 193 places |
| 2020 | #12,697 | 2,322 | 0.78 | -153 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 177 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 Dragon 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 | #12,520 | #12,697 | -1.4% |
| Count | 2,475 | 2,322 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.78 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dragon bearers went from 2,475 to 2,322 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 177 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,520 to #12,697.
FAQ
Dragon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dragon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,663 living Americans carry the surname Dragon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,710 residents.
How common is Dragon?
Dragon ranks #12,697 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,322 people with the surname Dragon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,663), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Dragon.
Has Dragon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dragon went from 2,475 recorded bearers to 2,322. That is a decrease of 153 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,520 to #12,697.
What does the Census say about the background of Dragon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dragon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Dragon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.4% (1,936 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dragon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.4%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Dragon (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 Dragon mean?
A nickname-derived surname referring to a fierce or brave person, or one with a connection to the creature. 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 Dragon (0.78 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 are called Dragon?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Dragon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.