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

Dukes, 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 Dukes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dukes in America

Dukes is the 1622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dukes surname appeared 22,187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Dukes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dukes 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 Dukes

The surname DUKES is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "duc" which translates to "duke" or "leader." The name initially referred to someone who held the prestigious title of duke or was in service to a duke.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "le Duc" and "de Duc." These early spellings suggest that the name was initially used as a descriptive byname for someone associated with a duke or ducal household.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the name began to appear in various records across England, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Dukes" in Oxfordshire. During this time, the name also started to be adopted as a hereditary surname by families who had previously used it as a descriptive byname.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Dukes (c. 1350-1412), a prominent English knight and landowner from Gloucestershire. He served as a member of Parliament and fought in the Hundred Years' War under King Edward III.

Another early example is John Dukes (c. 1470-1544), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London during the reign of Henry VIII. He was a benefactor of several churches and charitable institutions in the capital.

In the 16th century, the name DUKES was also found in the parish records of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. One entry from 1596 mentions a John Dukes, who may have been a contemporary of the famous playwright.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a prominent Royalist soldier named Sir Robert Dukes (1609-1680) fought for King Charles I. He was knighted for his military service and later became a Member of Parliament.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Samuel Dukes (1738-1815), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was awarded several honors for his distinguished service.

Over the centuries, the surname DUKES has been associated with various localities across England, such as Dukes Priory in Essex and Dukes Wood in Buckinghamshire, further reinforcing its connection to noble or influential individuals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dukes

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

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

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

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