2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Dreux
A surname derived from the French city of Dreux or nearby areas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dreux. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dreux 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Dreux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.4%. The next largest groups are White (32.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dreux
The surname Dreux has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Île-de-France. It is derived from the town of Dreux, which lies in the department of Eure-et-Loir. The name Dreux itself is thought to have its roots in the Gallo-Roman name "Durocassium," which means "a place among the oaks."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Dreux can be traced back to the 11th century. One notable historical reference is found in the medieval chronicle "Gesta Normannorum Ducum," which mentions a Count of Dreux named Gautier in the year 1035. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 12th century, the town of Dreux gained prominence as the site of a major battle during the Hundred Years' War. The Battle of Dreux, fought in 1562, was a significant conflict between the Catholic and Huguenot forces. This event likely contributed to the spread of the surname across France and beyond.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Dreux was Robert I, Count of Dreux (1123-1188). He was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis VII of France and played a crucial role in the Second Crusade. Another notable bearer of the name was Pierre Dreux (1190-1268), a French architect and master mason who was involved in the construction of several Gothic cathedrals, including Notre-Dame de Paris.
In the 14th century, the Dreux family became closely linked with the French monarchy through the marriage of Marie de Dreux (1295-1372) to Louis de France, Count of Évreux. Their son, Charles de Dreux (1322-1346), was a renowned military commander who served in the Hundred Years' War.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Dreux was carried by several notable artists and scholars. One such individual was Nicolas Dreux (1525-1589), a French painter and member of the School of Fontainebleau, known for his portraiture and religious paintings.
In more recent times, the surname Dreux has been associated with figures in literature and politics. Jules Dreux (1810-1899) was a French writer and journalist, while René Dreux (1919-2011) was a prominent member of the French Resistance during World War II and later served as a member of the French Parliament.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dreux
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.4%. The next largest groups are White (32.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dreux 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 Dreux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.4% · 67
- White32.2% · 39
- Two or more races6.6% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dreux
Dreux 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+19 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 17,123 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 Dreux 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 | #158,432 | #141,309 | 10.8% |
| Count | 102 | 121 | 18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dreux bearers went from 102 to 121 (+18.6% change). The surname moved up 17,123 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dreux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dreux?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dreux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dreux?
Dreux ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Dreux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Dreux.
Has Dreux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dreux went from 102 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 19 (+18.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dreux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.4%. The next largest groups are White (32.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dreux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.4% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dreux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.4%), White (32.2%), Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Dreux (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 Dreux mean?
A surname derived from the French city of Dreux or nearby areas. 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 Dreux (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 share the surname Dreux?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.