2000
#5,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.28
Rare Last name
Duda
A Polish surname derived from the word "duda," meaning "bagpipe" or referring to someone who played the bagpipes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,712 Americans carry the last name Duda. That puts it at #5,709 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duda 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 Duda with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,066
Census rank
#5,709
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,853 bearers of the surname Duda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5709th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duda, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duda
The surname Duda has its origins in Poland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Polish word "duda," which referred to a type of bagpipe or a wind instrument similar to the bagpipe. This suggests that the name might have initially been an occupational surname for a bagpipe player or someone who made or sold these instruments.
One of the earliest known records of the name Duda can be found in the Polish Heraldry, where a coat of arms was granted to a noble family with this surname in the late 16th century. The coat of arms featured a bagpipe, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the musical instrument.
In the 17th century, the name Duda appeared in various historical documents, including parish records and tax registers, in regions such as Greater Poland, Silesia, and Masovia. Some variations in spelling, such as Dudka or Dudek, were also present during this time period.
Notable individuals with the surname Duda throughout history include Jan Duda (1551-1628), a Polish nobleman and military commander who participated in the Polish-Swedish War, and Franciszek Duda (1867-1923), a Polish painter known for his landscape and genre works.
Another prominent figure was Andrzej Duda, born in 1972, who served as the President of Poland from 2015 to 2020. He was a member of the Law and Justice party and played a significant role in Polish politics during his tenure.
In the 19th century, the name Duda was associated with several towns and villages in Poland, such as Duda Wlościańska and Duda Szlachecka, which could indicate that the name originated from or was prevalent in those areas.
Throughout the centuries, the Duda surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, craftsmen, artists, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and roles of those bearing this name in Polish society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duda
Among Census respondents with the surname Duda, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Duda 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 Duda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 5,502
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 148
- Two or more races2.2% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 43
- Black or African American0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duda
Duda 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
#5,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,034
-105 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 518 places
2020
#5,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,853
-181 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Up 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,225 | 6,139 | 2.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,743 | 6,034 | 2.05 | -105 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 518 places |
| 2020 | #5,709 | 5,853 | 1.96 | -181 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 34 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 Duda 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 | #5,743 | #5,709 | 0.6% |
| Count | 6,034 | 5,853 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.05 | 1.96 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duda bearers went from 6,034 to 5,853 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,743 to #5,709.
FAQ
Duda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duda?
Name Census estimates that about 6,712 living Americans carry the surname Duda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,066 residents.
How common is Duda?
Duda ranks #5,709 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,853 people with the surname Duda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,712), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Duda.
Has Duda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duda went from 6,034 recorded bearers to 5,853. That is a decrease of 181 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,743 to #5,709.
What does the Census say about the background of Duda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duda, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Duda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (5,502 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Duda (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 Duda mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "duda," meaning "bagpipe" or referring to someone who played the bagpipes. 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 Duda (1.96 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 have the surname Duda?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.