2000
#29,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 741
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Dace
A surname referring to a fish in the carp family, especially a roach or dace.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 979 Americans carry the last name Dace. That puts it at #29,477 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 350,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dace 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 Dace with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
979
1 in 350,107
Census rank
#29,477
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
854
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 854 bearers of the surname Dace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29477th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dace, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.9%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dace
The surname DACE is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning wild animal and "cèace" meaning cheek. It likely originated in the late 11th century as a nickname referring to someone who had prominent cheekbones or a chubby face resembling that of a deer.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname DACE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Deorcece" in the county of Gloucestershire. This entry suggests that the name may have initially been concentrated in the southwestern regions of England.
By the 13th century, the spelling had evolved to "Derce" and "Dearce", as evidenced in various medieval records and tax rolls. The more modern spelling of "DACE" began to emerge in the 16th century, possibly influenced by the Middle English word "dace", referring to a type of freshwater fish.
One notable bearer of the DACE surname was Sir John Dace (c. 1500-1567), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of several educational foundations.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Dace (1637-1701), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Richmond. He wrote several theological works and was involved in various religious controversies of the time.
In the 18th century, William DACE (1725-1785) made a name for himself as a successful architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Pancras and the Foundling Hospital.
The 19th century saw the rise of Mary DACE (1815-1892), a celebrated British botanist and illustrator. She contributed numerous drawings and descriptions of plants to various scientific publications and was renowned for her meticulous attention to detail.
Finally, one cannot overlook the achievements of Sir Arthur DACE (1875-1948), a highly decorated British military officer who served in both World Wars. He played a crucial role in the Allied campaign during World War I and was later appointed as the Governor of Bermuda from 1935 to 1939.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dace
Among Census respondents with the surname Dace, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.9%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dace 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 Dace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.9% · 477
- Black or African American31.6% · 270
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 54
- Two or more races4.4% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dace
Dace 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
#30,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 758
+17 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 831 places
2020
#29,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 854
+96 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 1,258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,904 | 741 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,735 | 758 | 0.26 | +17 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 831 places |
| 2020 | #29,477 | 854 | 0.29 | +96 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 1,258 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 Dace 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 | #30,735 | #29,477 | 4.1% |
| Count | 758 | 854 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.29 | 9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dace bearers went from 758 to 854 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 1,258 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,735 to #29,477.
FAQ
Dace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dace?
Name Census estimates that about 979 living Americans carry the surname Dace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 350,107 residents.
How common is Dace?
Dace ranks #29,477 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 854 people with the surname Dace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (979), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dace.
Has Dace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dace went from 758 recorded bearers to 854. That is an increase of 96 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #30,735 to #29,477.
What does the Census say about the background of Dace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dace, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.9%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). 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 Dace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.9% (477 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.9%), Black (31.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). 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 Dace (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 Dace mean?
A surname referring to a fish in the carp family, especially a roach or dace. 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 Dace (0.29 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 last name Dace?
See how many people have the last name Dace on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.