2000
#12,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Dula
A Romanian occupational surname derived from the word "doula," meaning a type of wooden container or barrel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,636 Americans carry the last name Dula. That puts it at #12,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dula 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
2.6K
1 in 130,028
Census rank
#12,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,299 bearers of the surname Dula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dula, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dula
The surname DULA has its origins in the Czech Republic, where it first emerged in the early 15th century. It is derived from the Czech word "dula," which means "midwife" or "birth attendant." The name was likely given to women who assisted with childbirth, and it eventually became a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DULA surname can be found in a manuscript from 1457, which mentions a woman named Anna Dula residing in the town of Třebíč. This suggests that the name was already in use by the mid-15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the DULA surname began to spread across various regions of the Czech lands, including Bohemia and Moravia. It is believed that some families with this name may have also migrated to neighboring countries, such as Poland and Slovakia, during this period.
In the 18th century, the DULA surname appears in several historical records, including parish registers and land ownership documents. One notable individual from this time was Magdalena Dula (1725-1789), a renowned midwife from the village of Blovice, who was highly respected for her expertise in childbirth and herbalism.
The 19th century saw the DULA surname gain further prominence, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. Among them was Jan Dula (1836-1903), a Czech writer and journalist who played an essential role in promoting the use of the Czech language during the National Revival period.
Another notable bearer of the DULA surname was Karolína Dula (1874-1944), a Czech artist and illustrator renowned for her intricate woodcut prints. Her works were widely exhibited throughout Europe and are now part of several prestigious art collections.
In the 20th century, the DULA surname continued to be found across various regions of the former Czechoslovakia, as well as in diaspora communities around the world. One prominent figure from this era was Antonín Dula (1920-1992), a renowned Czech architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction of Prague after World War II.
While the DULA surname is most commonly associated with the Czech Republic, it has also been documented in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Austria, where it may have been adopted by individuals of Czech descent or those with ancestral ties to the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dula
Among Census respondents with the surname Dula, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dula 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 Dula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.1% · 1,266
- Black or African American33.0% · 759
- Two or more races6.5% · 150
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dula
Dula 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
#13,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,169
-75 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 1,272 places
2020
#12,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,299
+130 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 1,131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,650 | 2,244 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,922 | 2,169 | 0.74 | -75 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 1,272 places |
| 2020 | #12,791 | 2,299 | 0.77 | +130 bearers (+6.0%) | Up 1,131 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 Dula 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 | #13,922 | #12,791 | 8.1% |
| Count | 2,169 | 2,299 | 6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.77 | 3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dula bearers went from 2,169 to 2,299 (+6.0% change). The surname moved up 1,131 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,922 to #12,791.
FAQ
Dula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dula?
Name Census estimates that about 2,636 living Americans carry the surname Dula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,028 residents.
How common is Dula?
Dula ranks #12,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,299 people with the surname Dula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dula.
Has Dula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dula went from 2,169 recorded bearers to 2,299. That is an increase of 130 (+6.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,922 to #12,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Dula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dula, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Dula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.1% (1,266 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.1%), Black (33.0%), Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Dula (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 Dula mean?
A Romanian occupational surname derived from the word "doula," meaning a type of wooden container or barrel. 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 Dula (0.77 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 Dula?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.