2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dueling
A surname referring to someone who engaged in duels or combat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Dueling. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dueling 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Dueling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dueling, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dueling
The surname Dueling is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is likely derived from the German word "duell," which means "duel" or "combat." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in dueling or combat-related activities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various German historical records and documents from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One notable example is Johann Dueling, a German military officer who served during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
In the 18th century, the name Dueling began to appear in other parts of Europe, potentially indicating migration or expansion of families bearing this surname. For instance, there are records of individuals with the name Dueling residing in the Netherlands and France during this period.
One prominent figure with the surname Dueling was Friedrich Dueling (1781-1853), a German philosopher and theologian who was a prominent figure in the early 19th century. He was known for his contributions to the field of ethics and his influence on German idealism.
Another notable individual was Karl Dueling (1857-1923), a German architect who designed several important buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building, which housed the German parliament.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Dueling also gained recognition in the United States, likely due to immigration from German-speaking regions. One example is Charles Dueling (1860-1940), an American industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Dueling Steel Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Another notable American with this surname was William Dueling (1892-1979), a lawyer and politician who served as a United States Congressman from Pennsylvania between 1943 and 1959.
While the surname Dueling is not among the most common surnames worldwide, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including military, philosophy, architecture, business, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dueling
Among Census respondents with the surname Dueling, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dueling 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 Dueling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 106
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dueling
Dueling 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+15 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,768 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-15 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,906 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 4,768 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 14,906 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 Dueling 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 | #133,048 | #147,954 | -11.2% |
| Count | 127 | 112 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dueling bearers went from 127 to 112 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 14,906 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #147,954.
FAQ
Dueling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dueling?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Dueling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Dueling?
Dueling ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Dueling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Dueling.
Has Dueling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dueling went from 127 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Dueling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dueling, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Dueling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dueling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Dueling (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 Dueling mean?
A surname referring to someone who engaged in duels or combat. 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 Dueling (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 Dueling?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.