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

Dright, 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 Dright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dright in America

Dright is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dright surname appeared 131 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 Dright.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dright 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 Dright

The surname DRIGHT has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "driht," which means "warrior" or "soldier." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who served in the military or was known for their bravery in battle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DRIGHT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1189, where a person named Willelmus Dright is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use during the late 12th century in the southwestern region of England.

In the 13th century, the name DRIGHT appeared in several historical records, including the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1212, which mention a certain Robertus Dright. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.

During the 14th century, the DRIGHT surname was associated with several notable individuals. One example is John Dright, a merchant from Bristol who was recorded in the city's tax rolls in 1327. Another is William Dright, a landowner from Warwickshire mentioned in the Feet of Fines records of 1388.

The 15th century saw the emergence of several variants of the DRIGHT surname, such as Drighte and Dryght. These spellings were likely influenced by regional dialects and pronunciation differences. One noteworthy individual from this period was Thomas Drighte, a scholar and clergyman from Oxford who was born around 1440.

In the 16th century, the DRIGHT surname continued to be present in various parts of England. One notable figure was Richard Dright, a merchant from London who was involved in the city's international trade with the Netherlands. He was born around 1520 and is mentioned in several port records from the mid-16th century.

Throughout the centuries, the DRIGHT surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from merchants and landowners to scholars and clergymen. While not as widespread as some other English surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the 12th century and the Old English language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dright

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

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 Dright 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 Dright 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 Dright was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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