2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dufau
A French surname derived from the region of Dufau in Gascony.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Dufau. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dufau 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Dufau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dufau, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dufau
The surname DUFAU is of French origin and can be traced back to the Occitan region of southern France. It is believed to have originated from the Old Occitan word "fau," meaning "beech tree." The prefix "du" means "of" or "from," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or came from a place where beech trees were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DUFAU can be found in the 13th century in the region of Languedoc, where it appeared in various municipal records and charters. The name was also present in the neighboring regions of Gascony and Provence during this time period.
In the 14th century, the name DUFAU appeared in several historical documents, including the tax rolls of the city of Toulouse. This suggests that there were individuals bearing this surname who were part of the local bourgeoisie or merchant class.
During the 16th century, the DUFAU name gained prominence in the region of Béarn, where it was associated with several noble families. One notable figure from this era was Jean DUFAU (c. 1515-1582), a prominent jurist and advisor to the King of Navarre.
In the 17th century, the DUFAU name spread to other parts of France, including the Paris region. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Pierre DUFAU (1638-1693), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to Canada and worked among the indigenous populations.
Another significant figure with the DUFAU surname was François DUFAU (1696-1766), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice.
In the 19th century, the DUFAU name was associated with several influential figures in the arts and sciences. One such individual was Eugène DUFAU (1815-1877), a French painter and sculptor who was part of the Realist movement.
Throughout its history, the DUFAU surname has also been linked to various place names in southern France, such as Dufau (a commune in the Landes department), Dufau-de-Laàquederêts (a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department), and Laàquedufau (a commune in the Gers department).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dufau
Among Census respondents with the surname Dufau, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dufau 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 Dufau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.6% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino26.5% · 27
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dufau
Dufau appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 986 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 Dufau 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 | #153,769 | #154,755 | -0.6% |
| Count | 106 | 102 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dufau bearers went from 106 to 102 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 986 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,755.
FAQ
Dufau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dufau?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Dufau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Dufau?
Dufau ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Dufau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dufau.
Has Dufau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dufau went from 106 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Dufau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dufau, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Dufau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.6% (72 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dufau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.6%), Hispanic (26.5%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Dufau (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 Dufau mean?
A French surname derived from the region of Dufau in Gascony. 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 Dufau (0.03 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 Dufau?
See how many people are called Dufau on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.