2000
#1,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,774
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.22
Uncommon Last name
Dutton
Derived from a place name meaning "town of Dudd" or "Dudd's town" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,648 Americans carry the last name Dutton. That puts it at #2,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dutton 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 Dutton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,380
Census rank
#2,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,262 bearers of the surname Dutton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dutton, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dutton
The surname Dutton has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "dun" and "tun," meaning a hill or down and a town or settlement, respectively. The name refers to people who lived in the town of Dutton, which is found in various parts of England, such as Cheshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dutton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was spelled as "Duntun" in this document, reflecting the Old English pronunciation.
In the 13th century, the Dutton family held significant lands and influence in Cheshire, and several members of the family were prominent figures in the region. Sir Hugh Dutton (born around 1240) was a notable knight and landowner who served under Edward I during the Welsh Wars.
During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, Sir Piers Dutton (1417-1459) was a staunch supporter of the House of Lancaster and fought alongside Queen Margaret of Anjou at the Battle of Blore Heath in 1459, where he was killed.
In the 16th century, Thomas Dutton (c. 1532-1615) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral and was known for his work in biblical translation.
Another notable figure with the surname Dutton was Sir Ralph Dutton (1598-1677), who was a Royalist commander during the English Civil War and fought for King Charles I. He was knighted for his service in 1644.
In the literary world, the poet and playwright Henry Dutton (1598-1669) is remembered for his contributions to the English Renaissance theatre, including his play "The Unfortunate Lovers."
The Dutton surname has been carried by various individuals throughout history, and while its origins can be traced back to specific locations in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dutton
Among Census respondents with the surname Dutton, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dutton 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 Dutton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 14,270
- Two or more races4.2% · 675
- Black or African American3.6% · 592
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 484
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 111
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dutton
Dutton 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
#2,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,057
+283 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 5.78
Rank movement Down 147 places
2020
#2,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,262
-795 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 5.44
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,976 | 16,774 | 6.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,123 | 17,057 | 5.78 | +283 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 147 places |
| 2020 | #2,173 | 16,262 | 5.44 | -795 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 50 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 Dutton 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 | #2,123 | #2,173 | -2.4% |
| Count | 17,057 | 16,262 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 5.78 | 5.44 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dutton bearers went from 17,057 to 16,262 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,123 to #2,173.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dutton
FAQ
Dutton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dutton?
Name Census estimates that about 18,648 living Americans carry the surname Dutton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,380 residents.
How common is Dutton?
Dutton ranks #2,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,262 people with the surname Dutton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Dutton.
Has Dutton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dutton went from 17,057 recorded bearers to 16,262. That is a decrease of 795 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,123 to #2,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Dutton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dutton, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Dutton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (14,270 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dutton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (3.6%). 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 Dutton (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 Dutton mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "town of Dudd" or "Dudd's town" in Old English. 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 Dutton (5.44 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 share the surname Dutton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.