2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Durack
An Irish occupational surname referring to an oak maker or oak worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Durack. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Durack 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Durack with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Durack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Durack, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Durack
The surname Durack originates from Ireland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Dubhrachaidh," which means "dark-skinned" or "swarthy." The name is believed to have originated in County Sligo, a region located in the northwestern part of Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Durack name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century. This document mentions a family named Dubhrachaidh, providing evidence of the name's existence during that time period.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Durack family played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, where they fought against English rule. Notable figures from this era include Patrick Durack (1635-1701), a prominent landowner and military leader, and his son, Michael Durack (1670-1745), who continued to resist English dominance.
As the years passed, the Durack name spread across Ireland, with several families bearing this surname settling in various regions. One of the most well-known individuals with this name was Charles Durack (1806-1876), an Irish-born explorer who played a crucial role in the exploration of the Australian outback in the mid-19th century.
Another notable figure was Mary Durack (1913-1994), an Australian author and historian widely acclaimed for her works depicting the lives of early settlers and Indigenous Australians. Her novels, such as "Kings in Grass Castles" and "Daughters of Dolours," shed light on the struggles and experiences of the Durack family in the Australian frontier.
The Durack surname can also be traced back to the ancient Irish territory of Muintir Eolais, located in modern-day County Leitrim. Historical records indicate that the Duracks were a prominent family in this region, with some members serving as chieftains and landowners during the medieval period.
Throughout history, the Durack name has undergone various spelling variations, including Durrack, Derrick, and Dirrick, reflecting the fluidity of language and the influence of local dialects. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained connected to its Irish roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Durack
Among Census respondents with the surname Durack, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Durack 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 Durack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Durack
Durack 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-16 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,766 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 20,766 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Durack 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Durack bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Durack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Durack?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Durack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Durack?
Durack ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Durack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Durack.
Has Durack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Durack went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Durack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Durack, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Durack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Durack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Durack (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 Durack mean?
An Irish occupational surname referring to an oak maker or oak worker. 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 Durack (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 Durack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.