Find out how popular the last name Dysart is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dysart.

Dysart, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dysart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dysart in America

Dysart is the 16214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dysart surname appeared 1,781 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dysart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dysart to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dysart

The surname Dysart originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "dys," meaning a hill or mound, and the Gaelic word "ard," meaning a height or promontory. The name refers to a particular geographic location in Fife, Scotland, where the town of Dysart was situated on a prominent hill overlooking the Firth of Forth.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Dysart can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which mention a person named William de Dysart in 1265. The name also appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Dysart was Sir Michael Dysart, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the First War of Scottish Independence. Sir Michael was granted lands in Fife for his service, and the family's connection to the town of Dysart became more firmly established.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dysart family played a significant role in Scottish politics and society. One prominent member was Wiliam Dysart, 1st Earl of Dysart (1592-1670), a Scottish nobleman who served as Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland and was a close advisor to King Charles I.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Dysart was James Dysart (1643-1728), a Scottish merchant and landowner who acquired significant wealth through trade and invested in plantation agriculture in the West Indies. He was also a prominent member of the Convention of Estates, a Scottish Parliament that played a crucial role in the Acts of Union of 1707, which united the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England into the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In the 18th century, the name Dysart was also associated with the literary world. William Dysart (1718-1789) was a Scottish poet and philosopher who published several works on moral philosophy and aesthetics. He was also a close friend of the philosopher David Hume and was known for his contributions to the Scottish Enlightenment.

While the name Dysart has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including England, Ireland, and North America, where descendants of Scottish immigrants have carried on the surname. Despite its relatively rare occurrence, the name Dysart continues to hold a place in history as a testament to Scotland's rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dysart

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dysart.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dysart was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dysart has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dysart was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dysart, please contact us.

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