2000
#14,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,822
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Duryea
A French surname derived from "durée," meaning "endurance" or "duration."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,024 Americans carry the last name Duryea. That puts it at #15,885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,345 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duryea 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
2.0K
1 in 169,345
Census rank
#15,885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,765 bearers of the surname Duryea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duryea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duryea
The surname Duryea has its origins in France, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "durée," meaning "endurance" or "lasting quality." This etymological root suggests that the name may have been originally bestowed upon an individual renowned for their perseverance or resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Duryea name can be found in the records of the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. It is believed that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror during the invasion of 1066. The name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William I in 1086, indicating its presence in various parts of England at that time.
In the 13th century, the name Duryea surfaced in the Huguenot regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Brittany. During this period, many Huguenot families bearing the name Duryea fled religious persecution and sought refuge in other parts of Europe and the New World.
One notable figure with the surname Duryea was Charles E. Duryea (1861-1938), an American inventor and engineer credited with designing and building one of the first successful gasoline-powered automobiles in 1893. His brother, Frank Duryea (1869-1967), was also involved in the development of early automobiles, and together they formed the Duryea Motor Wagon Company.
Another historical figure was Abram Duryee (1815-1890), a Union officer during the American Civil War. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg, and rose to the rank of brigadier general.
In the literary world, Ella Duryea (1846-1926) was an American novelist and poet known for her works depicting life in the American West during the late 19th century.
The Duryea name has also been associated with several notable athletes, such as Ned Duryea (1914-1984), an American professional baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox in the 1930s and 1940s, and Dan Duryea (1917-1976), a former professional football player who played for the Chicago Bears in the 1940s.
While the surname Duryea is relatively uncommon, it has a rich historical legacy spanning several centuries and regions, with its roots firmly grounded in the French language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duryea
Among Census respondents with the surname Duryea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Duryea 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 Duryea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 1,638
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 47
- Two or more races2.0% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duryea
Duryea 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
#16,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,809
-13 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 1,133 places
2020
#15,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,765
-44 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,898 | 1,822 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,031 | 1,809 | 0.61 | -13 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 1,133 places |
| 2020 | #15,885 | 1,765 | 0.59 | -44 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 146 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 Duryea 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 | #16,031 | #15,885 | 0.9% |
| Count | 1,809 | 1,765 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.59 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duryea bearers went from 1,809 to 1,765 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,031 to #15,885.
FAQ
Duryea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duryea?
Name Census estimates that about 2,024 living Americans carry the surname Duryea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,345 residents.
How common is Duryea?
Duryea ranks #15,885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,765 people with the surname Duryea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,024), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Duryea.
Has Duryea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duryea went from 1,809 recorded bearers to 1,765. That is a decrease of 44 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,031 to #15,885.
What does the Census say about the background of Duryea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duryea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Duryea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (1,638 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duryea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Duryea (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 Duryea mean?
A French surname derived from "durée," meaning "endurance" or "duration." 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 Duryea (0.59 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 people have the surname Duryea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.