2000
#11,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Durrant
From the Old French "durant" meaning "enduring," likely referring to someone steadfast, persistent, or tenacious.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,407 Americans carry the last name Durrant. That puts it at #10,317 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Durrant 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 Durrant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,603
Census rank
#10,317
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,971 bearers of the surname Durrant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10317th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrant, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Durrant
The surname DURRANT originated from Normandy in France, and dates back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "durant", meaning "enduring" or "lasting". This was likely a nickname given to someone who was particularly resilient or steadfast in their character.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Durant", referring to a landowner in Oxfordshire.
As the name spread throughout England, various spellings emerged, such as Durand, Duraunt, and Durraunt. It is thought that the addition of the "-t" at the end of the name was a result of French influence during the Norman conquest of England.
In the 13th century, records show a Johannes Durand, who was a prominent figure in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. These rolls were administrative documents that recorded the holdings of landowners in the region.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the DURRANT surname was Sir Ralph Durrant, who was born in 1402 and served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1449. He was also a notable landowner and military commander during the Wars of the Roses.
Another prominent figure with the DURRANT surname was Sir Thomas Durrant, who was born in 1528 and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1573. He was a successful merchant and played a significant role in the expansion of English trade with the Netherlands and Germany.
In the 17th century, Sir William Durrant, born in 1616, was a highly respected judge and legal scholar. He served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1668 until his death in 1677.
During the 18th century, the DURRANT surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Norfolk, where several notable individuals bore the name. One such person was Edward Durrant, born in 1712, who was a renowned botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Norfolk and collaborated with renowned scientists of his time.
In the 19th century, George Durrant, born in 1820, was a prolific writer and journalist. He worked for several prominent publications, including the London Times, and authored several books on historical and literary topics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Durrant
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrant, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Durrant 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 Durrant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.1% · 2,261
- Black or African American15.7% · 466
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 119
- Two or more races3.3% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Durrant
Durrant 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
#9,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,282
+694 bearers (+26.8%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 1,373 places
2020
#10,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,971
-311 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,227 | 2,588 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,854 | 3,282 | 1.11 | +694 bearers (+26.8%) | Up 1,373 places |
| 2020 | #10,317 | 2,971 | 0.99 | -311 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 463 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 Durrant 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 | #9,854 | #10,317 | -4.7% |
| Count | 3,282 | 2,971 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 0.99 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Durrant bearers went from 3,282 to 2,971 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 463 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,854 to #10,317.
FAQ
Durrant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Durrant?
Name Census estimates that about 3,407 living Americans carry the surname Durrant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,603 residents.
How common is Durrant?
Durrant ranks #10,317 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,971 people with the surname Durrant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Durrant.
Has Durrant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Durrant went from 3,282 recorded bearers to 2,971. That is a decrease of 311 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,854 to #10,317.
What does the Census say about the background of Durrant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrant, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Durrant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (2,261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Durrant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.1%), Black (15.7%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Durrant (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 Durrant mean?
From the Old French "durant" meaning "enduring," likely referring to someone steadfast, persistent, or tenacious. 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 Durrant (0.99 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 Americans have the surname Durrant?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.