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

Driskill, 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 Driskill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Driskill in America

Driskill is the 9902nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Driskill surname appeared 3,264 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Driskill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Driskill 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 Driskill

The surname Driskill originated in medieval England, derived from the Old English word "drysne," meaning "cluster" or "bundle." It likely referred to someone who lived near a thicket or wooded area.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Driscenel." This suggests that the name was present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings, including Driskel, Driskill, and Dryscoll. These variations can be found in historical records across various counties in England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Driskill, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. He was awarded lands in Nottinghamshire for his service to the Yorkist cause.

In the 16th century, the Driskill family established themselves as landowners in Derbyshire. William Driskill (1525-1592) served as a magistrate and was known for his involvement in local affairs.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Driskill (1610-1672) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was present at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

The name Driskill can also be traced to the village of Driscoll near Bodmin in Cornwall, which may have given rise to some variations of the surname.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Sir Henry Driskill (1742-1812), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. He funded the construction of several schools and churches in the city.

As the British Empire expanded, the Driskill surname spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where descendants of the original English families can be found.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Driskill

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

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

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

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