2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dritsas
A Greek surname derived from the Byzantine Greek name Dritsa, meaning "hailstorm" or "winter rain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dritsas. 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 Dritsas 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 Dritsas 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 Dritsas, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dritsas
The surname Dritsas has its origins in Greece, tracing back several centuries to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "δρίτσα," which means a type of plant or shrub. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with these plants.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Dritsas name can be found in the records of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, dating back to the 14th century. It appears that a monk named Theodoros Dritsas was residing in the monastery during this time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Georgios Dritsas was a prominent scholar and philosopher based in the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). He was known for his work in the field of rhetoric and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 18th century, the Dritsas surname can be traced to the island of Crete, where it was associated with several families involved in agriculture and trade. One such individual was Ioannis Dritsas (1725-1798), a successful merchant and landowner from the village of Arkalochori.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Petros Dritsas (1810-1876), a Greek military officer who fought in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He played a significant role in several battles and was later recognized for his bravery and leadership.
Another individual of note was Konstantinos Dritsas (1865-1932), a Greek politician and lawyer from the region of Epirus. He served as a member of the Greek parliament and was involved in various legal reforms during his career.
It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the Dritsas surname may have occurred over time, with some alternative forms including Dritsas, Dritza, and Dritsa. Additionally, the name may have been associated with certain place names or localities in Greece, although the specific connections are not well documented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dritsas
Among Census respondents with the surname Dritsas, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dritsas 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 Dritsas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 100
- Two or more races8.3% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dritsas
Dritsas 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-8 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,669 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,860 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 14,669 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,860 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 Dritsas 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 | #136,449 | #141,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 123 | 121 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dritsas bearers went from 123 to 121 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,860 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dritsas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dritsas?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dritsas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dritsas?
Dritsas 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 Dritsas. 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 Dritsas.
Has Dritsas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dritsas went from 123 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dritsas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dritsas, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dritsas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dritsas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Two or More Races (8.3%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Dritsas (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 Dritsas mean?
A Greek surname derived from the Byzantine Greek name Dritsa, meaning "hailstorm" or "winter rain." 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 Dritsas (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 Dritsas?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.