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

Durfee, 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 Durfee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Durfee in America

Durfee is the 8308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Durfee surname appeared 3,989 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Durfee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Durfee 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 Durfee

The surname Durfee originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Durfe or Durfee, which was located in the county of Somerset. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning deer and "feld" meaning field, suggesting it may have originally referred to a deer field or hunting ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Durfei." This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name was spelled in various forms, such as "Durfey," "Durfie," and "Durfye." These variations likely reflect the different dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

One notable individual bearing the Durfee name was Thomas Durfee, who was born in 1644 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He was a prominent figure in the early colonial history of Rhode Island and served as a deputy to the General Assembly.

Another significant bearer of the Durfee name was Job Durfee, who was born in 1712 in Tiverton, Rhode Island. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with creating some of the earliest clocks in colonial America.

In the 19th century, Ebenezer Durfee, born in 1823 in Ohio, gained recognition as a successful businessman and philanthropist. He made significant contributions to the establishment of educational institutions in Ohio.

William Pitt Durfee, born in 1855 in Michigan, was a notable lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1891 to 1895, representing Michigan's 4th congressional district.

Lastly, Delight Durfee, born in 1874 in New York, was a prominent suffragist and advocate for women's rights. She played an active role in the women's suffrage movement and worked tirelessly to secure voting rights for women.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Durfee

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

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

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

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