2000
#9,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,305
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Durrett
A locational surname derived from the French town of Airvault, likely referring to someone from that area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,571 Americans carry the last name Durrett. That puts it at #9,895 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,983 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Durrett 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.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,983
Census rank
#9,895
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,114 bearers of the surname Durrett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9895th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Durrett
The surname Durrett has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning wild animal or deer, and "hyrst" meaning a wooded hill or thicket. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a deer-inhabited forest or wooded area.
Historical records indicate that the name first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Dereherst." This early form of the name lends credence to the theory of its connection to deer and wooded areas. Over time, the name evolved to take on various spellings, such as Durreth, Durrett, and Durratt, before settling on its modern form, Durrett.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Durrett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1206, where a William Durret is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already begun to establish itself in the region during the early 13th century.
In the 14th century, there are records of a John Durrett, who was a landowner in the village of Bilston, Staffordshire. This John Durrett is believed to have been born around 1320, further solidifying the presence of the name in the West Midlands region of England.
During the Tudor period, the name Durrett gained some prominence with the mention of Sir Edward Durrett (1505-1572), who served as a member of Parliament and held various positions in the English court under the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
Moving into the 17th century, one notable figure was Thomas Durrett (1635-1701), a businessman and merchant from London who amassed considerable wealth through his trading ventures. His success contributed to the recognition of the Durrett name in the capital city.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in the works of renowned authors, such as Samuel Richardson's novel "Clarissa" (1748), where a character named Mr. Durrett is mentioned. This literary reference further solidified the name's place in English culture and society.
Throughout its history, the surname Durrett has also been associated with various place names, such as Durrett's Wood in Worcestershire and Durrett's Coppice in Warwickshire, both of which likely originated from individuals bearing the name who resided in or owned those areas.
While these examples provide a glimpse into the rich history and evolution of the surname Durrett, it is important to note that records from earlier periods may have been lost or incomplete, leaving aspects of the name's origins open to further research and interpretation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Durrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Durrett 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 Durrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.1% · 2,370
- Black or African American14.1% · 439
- Two or more races5.0% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Durrett
Durrett 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
#9,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,361
+56 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 568 places
2020
#9,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,114
-247 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 237 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,090 | 3,305 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,658 | 3,361 | 1.14 | +56 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 568 places |
| 2020 | #9,895 | 3,114 | 1.04 | -247 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 237 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 Durrett 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 | #9,658 | #9,895 | -2.5% |
| Count | 3,361 | 3,114 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.04 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Durrett bearers went from 3,361 to 3,114 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 237 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,658 to #9,895.
FAQ
Durrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Durrett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,571 living Americans carry the surname Durrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,983 residents.
How common is Durrett?
Durrett ranks #9,895 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,114 people with the surname Durrett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,571), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Durrett.
Has Durrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Durrett went from 3,361 recorded bearers to 3,114. That is a decrease of 247 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,658 to #9,895.
What does the Census say about the background of Durrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Durrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (2,370 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Durrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.1%), Black (14.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Durrett (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 Durrett mean?
A locational surname derived from the French town of Airvault, likely referring to someone from that area. 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 Durrett (1.04 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 Americans have the surname Durrett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.