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

Durden, 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 Durden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Durden in America

Durden is the 5014th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Durden surname appeared 7,007 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Durden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Durden 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 Durden

The surname Durden is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the Old English word "deor," which means "deer," or "dun," meaning "hill." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill frequented by deer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Durdene." This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appears in various forms in historical records, such as "Durdant," "Durdene," and "Durdenne." These variations suggest that the name was subject to regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

One notable individual bearing the name Durden was Robert Durden, a wealthy merchant and alderman of London in the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and held significant influence in the city's governance during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Sir William Durden, who lived in the 16th century. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I and served as a member of her Privy Council. Sir William was born in Kent in 1535 and died in 1589.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records throughout England, particularly in counties such as Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire. One notable individual from this period was John Durden, a Puritan minister who was born in 1625 and served as a chaplain during the English Civil War.

The name Durden is also associated with several place names in England, such as Durden Park in Tenterden, Kent, and Durden Farm in Eastbourne, Sussex. These locations likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Durden surname in the past.

Other notable individuals with the surname Durden include Henry Durden, a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Georgia, and William Durden, an English actor and playwright who lived in the late 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Durden

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

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

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

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