2000
#43,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 471
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Dullea
A variant of the French surname D'Olier or D'Oulier, which likely originated as a locational surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 523 Americans carry the last name Dullea. That puts it at #49,748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 655,362 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dullea 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
523
1 in 655,362
Census rank
#49,748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
456
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 456 bearers of the surname Dullea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dullea, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dullea
The surname Dullea has its origins in Ireland, with records indicating its presence as early as the 12th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Dulaidhe, which translates to "descendant of Duluigh," with the latter being a personal name derived from the word "dull," meaning "obstinate" or "stubborn."
One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. This document records a Domhnall Ó Dulaidhe, a chieftain from County Sligo, who was involved in a conflict with the O'Connors in the year 1249.
The Dullea surname appears to have been most prominent in the western counties of Ireland, particularly in Sligo, Mayo, and Galway. Some variations in spelling, such as Dulley and Dullye, can be found in historical records, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Tadhg Ó Dulaidhe was a renowned poet and scholar from County Mayo. His works, which were written in the Irish language, are still studied and appreciated by scholars of Irish literature today.
Another prominent individual with the Dullea surname was Brian Dullea, a 17th-century landowner from County Sligo. He was known for his involvement in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a significant event in Irish history.
The 18th century saw the birth of John Dullea (1737-1821), a Catholic priest and educator from County Mayo. He played a vital role in establishing schools and promoting education in his local community during a time when Catholic education was suppressed in Ireland.
In more recent times, the name Dullea has been carried by notable individuals such as Keir Dullea, an American actor born in 1936, best known for his role in the iconic film "2001: A Space Odyssey." Additionally, there was Patrick Dullea (1908-1995), an Irish politician who served as a member of the Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) from 1957 to 1969.
While the Dullea surname may have originated in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. However, its roots remain firmly planted in the western counties of Ireland, where the name has been a part of the local history and culture for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dullea
Among Census respondents with the surname Dullea, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dullea 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 Dullea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 439
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 11
- Two or more races1.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dullea
Dullea 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
#45,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 470
-1 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,263 places
2020
#49,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 456
-14 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 4,253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,232 | 471 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,495 | 470 | 0.16 | -1 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 2,263 places |
| 2020 | #49,748 | 456 | 0.15 | -14 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 4,253 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 Dullea 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 | #45,495 | #49,748 | -9.3% |
| Count | 470 | 456 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.15 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dullea bearers went from 470 to 456 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 4,253 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,495 to #49,748.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dullea
FAQ
Dullea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dullea?
Name Census estimates that about 523 living Americans carry the surname Dullea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 655,362 residents.
How common is Dullea?
Dullea ranks #49,748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 456 people with the surname Dullea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (523), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Dullea.
Has Dullea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dullea went from 470 recorded bearers to 456. That is a decrease of 14 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,495 to #49,748.
What does the Census say about the background of Dullea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dullea, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Dullea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (439 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dullea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Dullea (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 Dullea mean?
A variant of the French surname D'Olier or D'Oulier, which likely originated as a locational surname. 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 Dullea (0.15 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 common is the surname Dullea?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Dullea? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.