Dreyfus
A surname of German origin meaning someone who comes from the village of Dreyfus.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 925 Americans carry the last name Dreyfus. That puts it at #29,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 370,545 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dreyfus surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
925
1 in 370,545
Census rank
#29,793
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
789
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 789 bearers of the surname Dreyfus in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreyfus, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dreyfus
The surname Dreyfus is of French origin and dates back to the 17th century. It is derived from the French word "droit" which means "right" or "correct". The name is thought to have been initially given as an occupational surname to someone who was considered a fair or impartial person, perhaps a judge or magistrate.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Dreyfus can be found in various French records from the late 1600s, particularly in the Alsace region of eastern France. It is possible that the name may have derived from the German word "drei" meaning "three" and "fuss" meaning "foot", referring to a measurement or quantity. However, the French origin is more widely accepted.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Dreyfus was Raphaël Dreyfus (1670-1744), a French Jewish merchant and banker from Alsace. He was a prominent figure in the Jewish community and played a role in securing rights for Jews in France.
In the 19th century, the name gained notoriety with the Dreyfus Affair, a political scandal involving Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935), a French artillery officer of Jewish descent who was falsely accused of treason. The affair and his eventual exoneration became a significant event in the fight against anti-Semitism in France.
Other notable individuals with the surname Dreyfus include Camille Dreyfus (1851-1905), a French industrialist and chemist who co-founded the Dreyfus Group, a major agricultural commodity company. Ferdinand Dreyfus (1823-1891) was a Swiss businessman and one of the founders of the Société des Usines du Rhône, a manufacturing company.
In the United States, the name Dreyfus is associated with the Dreyfus family, a prominent banking and investment management family. Jack Dreyfus (1913-2009) founded the Dreyfus Corporation, a pioneering mutual fund company, and his son Howard Dreyfus (1928-2020) later served as the company's chairman.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dreyfus
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreyfus, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dreyfus bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Dreyfus surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5%
- Hispanic or Latino7.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3%
- Two or more races0.9%
- Unknown or suppressed0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Dreyfus surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,496 | #29,793 | -8.4% |
| Count | 825 | 789 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.27 | -12.9% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Dreyfus bearers went from 825 to 789 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 2,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,496 to #29,793.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dreyfus
FAQ
Dreyfus surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Dreyfus?
The surname Dreyfus holds position #29,793 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 925 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Dreyfus surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreyfus, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.