2000
#14,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,904
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Drye
An English occupational surname referring to a dry or sober person, or one who abstains from alcohol.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,189 Americans carry the last name Drye. That puts it at #14,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drye 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 Drye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,580
Census rank
#14,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,909 bearers of the surname Drye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drye, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drye
The surname Drye originated in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dryge," which means "dry" or "arid." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived in a particularly dry area or had some association with arid lands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Drye can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, where a William Drye is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the Drye surname appeared in various records across England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which listed a Walter Drye. The Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301 also mentioned a John Drye, indicating the name's presence in multiple regions.
The Drye surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was John Drye, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that he owned several properties in the city and was involved in international trade.
During the 16th century, the Drye family had a presence in the county of Wiltshire. Thomas Drye, born around 1520, was a prominent landowner and served as a Justice of the Peace in the region. His son, William Drye (1550-1617), was a successful lawyer and Member of Parliament for Cricklade.
In the 17th century, the Drye surname was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. One notable individual was Robert Drye (1635-1705), a clergyman who served as the Rector of Banbury and was known for his religious writings.
The 18th century saw the Drye family establish roots in Yorkshire. James Drye (1720-1788) was a successful merchant in Leeds, and his son, also named James Drye (1755-1823), became a prominent industrialist and was involved in the development of the textile industry in the region.
Another notable figure was Sir William Drye (1785-1858), a military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General and was awarded several honors for his service.
Throughout its history, the Drye surname has been subject to various spellings, including Drygh, Drighe, and Dryght, reflecting the linguistic variations and regional dialects of the time. While the name's origins can be traced back to Old English, its enduring presence across centuries and regions showcases its deep roots in English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drye
Among Census respondents with the surname Drye, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Drye 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 Drye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.1% · 1,414
- Black or African American17.6% · 336
- Two or more races4.0% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drye
Drye 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
#14,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,018
+114 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 320 places
2020
#14,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,909
-109 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,404 | 1,904 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,724 | 2,018 | 0.68 | +114 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 320 places |
| 2020 | #14,894 | 1,909 | 0.64 | -109 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 170 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 Drye 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 | #14,724 | #14,894 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,018 | 1,909 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.64 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drye bearers went from 2,018 to 1,909 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 170 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,724 to #14,894.
FAQ
Drye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drye?
Name Census estimates that about 2,189 living Americans carry the surname Drye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,580 residents.
How common is Drye?
Drye ranks #14,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,909 people with the surname Drye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Drye.
Has Drye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drye went from 2,018 recorded bearers to 1,909. That is a decrease of 109 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,724 to #14,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Drye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drye, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Drye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.1% (1,414 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.1%), Black (17.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Drye (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 Drye mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a dry or sober person, or one who abstains from alcohol. 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 Drye (0.64 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 Drye?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.