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

Durant, 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 Durant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Durant in America

Durant is the 2889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Durant surname appeared 12,428 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Durant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Durant 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 Durant

The surname Durant is of Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "Durant", which means "enduring" or "lasting". It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who was particularly strong or long-lived.

The name first appeared in the 11th century in Normandy, France, and was later introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The earliest recorded example of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a William Durant as a landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 12th century, the name was prominent in the county of Somerset, England, where it was often associated with the place name "Duranteston" or "Durant's Town". One notable figure from this period was Ralph Durant, a wealthy landowner and benefactor of the abbey at Glastonbury in the late 12th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name spread across England and appeared in various spellings, such as Durand, Durrant, and Durance. In 1273, a John Durant was recorded as a merchant in the city of London, and in 1327, a Geoffrey Durant served as the Mayor of Bristol.

Throughout the centuries, the Durant name has been associated with numerous notable individuals. One of the most famous was Thomas Durant (1538-1617), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Christ Church, Oxford, and was known for his theological works.

Another notable figure was Sir John Durant (1619-1697), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of England and Wales during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 19th century, the Durant name gained prominence in the United States, with William West Durant (1801-1859) becoming a prominent businessman and pioneer of the transcontinental railroad. His son, William C. Durant (1861-1947), was the co-founder of General Motors and played a significant role in the development of the American automobile industry.

Other notable individuals with the surname Durant include the American philosopher and writer Will Durant (1885-1981), known for his work "The Story of Civilization", and the British actress Abigail Durant (1985-present), who has appeared in various television shows and films.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Durant

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

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

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

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