2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Drisdale
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly originating from the Old English words "dri" meaning "thorny" and "dæl" meaning "valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Drisdale. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drisdale 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Drisdale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drisdale, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.5%. The next largest groups are White (24.6%) and Hispanic (11.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drisdale
The surname DRISDALE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has been lost to history. The suffix "-dale" is a common element in many English place names, referring to a valley or dale.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DRISDALE surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dating back to 1273. This ancient document listed a person named Robert de Drysdale, suggesting that the name was already in use by the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the DRISDALE surname appeared in various records from the county of Yorkshire. This included a reference to a William Drisdale in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1524. The spelling variations at the time included Drysdale, Drisdale, and Drisdell.
The DRISDALE name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Drisdale, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Yorkshire during the late 16th century. He is mentioned in various historical records and documents from that period.
Another noteworthy figure was Sir Robert Drisdale, a military officer who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He fought for the Parliamentarian forces and played a role in several battles against the Royalists.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Drisdale gained recognition as a skilled architect. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the north of England, many of which still stand today.
During the Victorian era, a writer and poet named Elizabeth Drisdale published several collections of poems and short stories. Her works were well-received and praised by literary critics of the time.
In the early 20th century, a businessman named William Drisdale founded a successful manufacturing company in the city of Manchester. The company, which produced textiles and clothing, employed thousands of workers and played a significant role in the local economy.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the DRISDALE surname throughout history. While the exact origins of the name remain somewhat unclear, it has left an indelible mark on various regions of England and continues to be a part of the country's rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drisdale
Among Census respondents with the surname Drisdale, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.5%. The next largest groups are White (24.6%) and Hispanic (11.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Drisdale 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 Drisdale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.5% · 69
- White24.6% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino11.9% · 14
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drisdale
Drisdale 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,514 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-9 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,514 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 10,463 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 Drisdale 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 | #133,048 | #143,511 | -7.9% |
| Count | 127 | 118 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drisdale bearers went from 127 to 118 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 10,463 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #143,511.
FAQ
Drisdale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drisdale?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Drisdale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Drisdale?
Drisdale ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Drisdale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Drisdale.
Has Drisdale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drisdale went from 127 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Drisdale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drisdale, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.5%. The next largest groups are White (24.6%) and Hispanic (11.9%). 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 Drisdale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.5% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drisdale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.5%), White (24.6%), Hispanic (11.9%). 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 Drisdale (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 Drisdale mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly originating from the Old English words "dri" meaning "thorny" and "dæl" meaning "valley". 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 Drisdale (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 Americans have the surname Drisdale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.