2000
#3,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,575
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.18
Uncommon Last name
Duval
From the French place name Duval, meaning "of the valley" or "from the valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,283 Americans carry the last name Duval. That puts it at #3,856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duval 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 Duval with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,332
Census rank
#3,856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,967 bearers of the surname Duval in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duval, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Hispanic (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duval
The surname DUVAL originates from France and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "du val" or "de val," which translates to "of the valley." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived or worked in a valley.
The earliest recorded instances of the DUVAL surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, such as Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France. It was often associated with place names that incorporated the word "val," indicating the geographical location where the family or individual resided.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Guillaume DUVAL was mentioned in the records of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. Another individual, Renaud DUVAL, was listed in the tax rolls of the city of Rouen in the year 1292.
During the 14th century, the DUVAL surname appeared in several historical documents, including the Livre des Bourgeois de Caen (Book of the Bourgeois of Caen), which recorded the names of prominent citizens in the city of Caen, Normandy. One entry from 1346 listed a certain Robert DUVAL.
In the 15th century, a famous French poet and playwright named Claude DUVAL was born in Clermont, Normandy (c. 1425–c. 1495). He is best known for his work titled "La Vie et Testament de Monseigneur de Grignaux," which satirized the nobility.
Another notable figure bearing the DUVAL surname was Pierre DUVAL (1618–1683), a French geographer and cartographer who served as the cartographer to the King of France. He published numerous maps and atlases during his lifetime, including the influential "La Géographie Universelle" (1660).
In the 18th century, a French painter named Aimé DUVAL (1760–1820) gained recognition for his historical and mythological paintings, as well as his portraits of notable figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte.
Throughout history, the DUVAL surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from poets and artists to scholars and landowners. Its origin and prevalence in France reflect the name's deep-rooted connection to the country's history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duval
Among Census respondents with the surname Duval, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Hispanic (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Duval 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 Duval surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 6,806
- Black or African American11.9% · 1,066
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 644
- Two or more races3.8% · 338
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duval
Duval 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
#4,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,851
+276 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Down 215 places
2020
#3,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,967
+116 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Up 158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,799 | 8,575 | 3.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,014 | 8,851 | 3.00 | +276 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 215 places |
| 2020 | #3,856 | 8,967 | 3.00 | +116 bearers (+1.3%) | Up 158 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 Duval 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 | #4,014 | #3,856 | 3.9% |
| Count | 8,851 | 8,967 | 1.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.00 | 3.00 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duval bearers went from 8,851 to 8,967 (+1.3% change). The surname moved up 158 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,014 to #3,856.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Duval
FAQ
Duval surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duval?
Name Census estimates that about 10,283 living Americans carry the surname Duval. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,332 residents.
How common is Duval?
Duval ranks #3,856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,967 people with the surname Duval. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,283), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Duval.
Has Duval become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duval went from 8,851 recorded bearers to 8,967. That is an increase of 116 (+1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,014 to #3,856.
What does the Census say about the background of Duval?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duval, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Hispanic (7.2%). 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 Duval in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (6,806 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duval appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Black (11.9%), Hispanic (7.2%). 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 Duval (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 Duval mean?
From the French place name Duval, meaning "of the valley" or "from the valley." 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 Duval (3.00 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 Duval?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.