Find out how popular the last name Drais is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Drais.

Drais, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Drais surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drais in America

Drais is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drais surname appeared 124 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Drais.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drais to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Drais

The surname DRAIS originates from Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "drei," meaning "three," and was likely an occupational name referring to someone who lived at a place with three houses or worked with three objects.

The earliest known record of the name DRAIS appears in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Speyer, where a certain Johannes Drais was mentioned as a landowner. Another early reference can be found in the tax records of Heidelberg from the late 15th century, listing a family with the name Drais.

In the 16th century, the name DRAIS was also documented in the town of Schwetzingen, where a notable figure named Konrad Drais (1512-1589) served as a magistrate and town councilor. His son, Johann Drais (1543-1605), was a respected Lutheran theologian and author of several religious texts.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name DRAIS spread across various regions of Germany, with bearers often working as farmers, artisans, or tradespeople. One notable example is Karl Drais (1785-1851), a German inventor and forest master from Karlsruhe, who is credited with inventing the earliest precursor to the modern bicycle, known as the "Draisine" or "Draisienne."

In the 19th century, the DRAIS name gained prominence with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. Johann Philipp Drais (1806-1891), a lawyer and politician from Baden, served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the Revolutions of 1848-1849. Another notable figure was Friedrich Drais (1808-1876), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Karlsruhe and other cities.

Other notable individuals with the surname DRAIS include the physicist and chemist Friedrich Drais (1872-1944), the World War II officer and resistance fighter Hans Drais (1908-1944), and the contemporary German artist and sculptor Volker Drais (born 1949).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drais

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Drais.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Drais was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Drais has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Drais was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Drais, please contact us.

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