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

Drysdale, 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 Drysdale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drysdale in America

Drysdale is the 14599th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drysdale surname appeared 2,039 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 Drysdale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drysdale 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 Drysdale

The surname Drysdale originates from the border regions of England and Scotland, where it was derived from a locational name for someone who lived near a dry valley or dale. The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, with early spellings including Driddesdale, Dridale, and Drisdale.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. A certain Nicol de Dridesdale from Berwickshire is listed among the names. The Drysdale family held lands in the Scottish Borders for several centuries and played a role in the conflicts between England and Scotland during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named John Drysdale (c. 1510-1590) was a Scottish clergyman and reformer who served as the minister of St. Andrews Parish Church. He was a supporter of the Protestant Reformation and played a part in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland.

Another historical figure with the surname was Sir William Drysdale (1637-1692), a Scottish military officer who served as the Governor of Blackness Castle and played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689, which saw the overthrow of King James VII of Scotland.

In the 18th century, James Drysdale (1718-1788) was a Scottish architect and mason who is known for his work on several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the reconstruction of the High Church and the design of the Old College at the University of Edinburgh.

Moving into the 19th century, William Drysdale (1832-1905) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who played a significant role in the development of the state of Victoria. He served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and banking.

Throughout history, the surname Drysdale has been associated with various place names, such as Drysdale in Victoria, Australia, and Drysdale Creek in British Columbia, Canada, which may have been named after individuals with this surname or derived from similar geographical features.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drysdale

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

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

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

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