Dwan
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendent of the nobleman".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 480 Americans carry the last name Dwan. That puts it at #51,176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 714,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dwan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
480
1 in 714,072
Census rank
#51,176
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
407
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 407 bearers of the surname Dwan in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dwan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dwan
The surname DWAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "dubhan," which means "little black man" or "swarthy person." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname referring to someone's physical appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DWAN surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a person named Maolmuire O'Dubhain, who was a member of a prominent family from County Sligo in the northwest of Ireland.
During the medieval period, the DWAN surname was particularly concentrated in the counties of Sligo, Mayo, and Galway in the western region of Ireland. It is possible that the name may have originated from these areas or nearby regions.
In the 16th century, the DWAN surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were official documents issued by the English crown in Ireland. This suggests that the name was well-established by that time.
Notable individuals with the DWAN surname throughout history include:
1. Thaddeus Dwan (1776-1848), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Galway in the early 19th century.
2. Sir James Dwan (1801-1865), an Irish-born Australian politician and landowner who served as the Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales.
3. Mary Dwan (1858-1936), an Irish-American actress and singer who performed in various stage productions and vaudeville shows in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
4. Edmond Dwan (1865-1931), an Irish-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in San Francisco, including the Flood Building and the Hibernia Bank Building.
5. Robert Dwan (1905-1963), an American actor and playwright who appeared in various Broadway productions and Hollywood films during the mid-20th century.
While the DWAN surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the Gaelic language and the descriptive meaning associated with physical appearance in medieval Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dwan
Among Census respondents with the surname Dwan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dwan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Dwan surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.6%
- Unknown or suppressed2.0%
- Hispanic or Latino1.2%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Dwan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #45,651 | #51,176 | -12.1% |
| Count | 441 | 407 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.14 | -12.5% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Dwan bearers went from 441 to 407 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 5,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,651 to #51,176.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dwan
FAQ
Dwan surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Dwan?
The surname Dwan holds position #51,176 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 480 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Dwan surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dwan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%) and Hispanic (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.