2000
#9,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Dry
An English surname derived from a nickname for a sober or austere person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,420 Americans carry the last name Dry. That puts it at #13,739 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,634 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dry 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,634
Census rank
#13,739
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,110 bearers of the surname Dry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13739th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dry, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (8.3%) and Black (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dry
The surname Dry is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "dryge," meaning dry or arid. This name would have been given to someone who lived in a particularly dry or arid region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dry can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Dryge" and "Drigg," indicating its early origins.
During the 13th century, the surname Dry was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where several places bear the name "Dry" or variations of it, likely referring to the dry or arid nature of the area. For instance, the village of Dry Sands in Lancashire is believed to have been named after its dry, sandy soil.
One notable figure bearing the surname Dry was John Dry, a 14th-century English philosopher and theologian who was active at the University of Oxford. He was born around 1330 and is known for his writings on logic and metaphysics.
In the 16th century, the name Dry appeared in the records of the Merchant Taylors' Company in London, suggesting that individuals with this surname were involved in the textile trade during that period.
Another historical figure of note was Sir Richard Dry, an English soldier and politician who lived during the 17th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton in Somerset and was involved in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
The surname Dry also has connections to Scotland, where it is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "drùidh," meaning a druid or wise man. In this context, the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for a person with exceptional knowledge or wisdom.
During the 18th century, the Dry surname was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Oxfordshire. One notable individual from this period was William Dry, a prominent English architect who was born in 1750 and designed several notable buildings in London and its surrounding areas.
Throughout history, the Dry surname has been subject to various spellings, such as "Drye," "Drygh," and "Dryge," reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dry
Among Census respondents with the surname Dry, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (8.3%) and Black (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dry 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 Dry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.5% · 1,656
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.3% · 175
- Black or African American5.4% · 113
- Two or more races5.3% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dry
Dry 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
#12,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,379
-691 bearers (-22.5%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 3,213 places
2020
#13,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,110
-269 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 818 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,708 | 3,070 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,921 | 2,379 | 0.81 | -691 bearers (-22.5%) | Down 3,213 places |
| 2020 | #13,739 | 2,110 | 0.71 | -269 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 818 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 Dry 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 | #12,921 | #13,739 | -6.3% |
| Count | 2,379 | 2,110 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.71 | -12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dry bearers went from 2,379 to 2,110 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 818 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,921 to #13,739.
FAQ
Dry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,420 living Americans carry the surname Dry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,634 residents.
How common is Dry?
Dry ranks #13,739 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,110 people with the surname Dry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,420), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dry.
Has Dry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dry went from 2,379 recorded bearers to 2,110. That is a decrease of 269 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,921 to #13,739.
What does the Census say about the background of Dry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dry, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (8.3%) and Black (5.4%). 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 Dry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (1,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.3%), Black (5.4%). 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 Dry (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 Dry mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a sober or austere person. 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 Dry (0.71 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 are called Dry?
Find out how many people have the surname Dry on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.