2000
#1,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,434
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.28
Uncommon Last name
Daly
Descendant of Dálach, an Irish Gaelic byname meaning "bold" or "presumptuous," or from the Irish surname Ó Dálaigh, meaning "descendant of Dálach."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,995 Americans carry the last name Daly. That puts it at #1,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Daly 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 Daly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,794
Census rank
#1,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
31K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,517 bearers of the surname Daly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Daly, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Daly
The surname Daly is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "O'Dalaigh," which means "descendant of the daly," with "daly" meaning "assembler" or "poet." The name can be traced back to the 10th century in Ireland, where it was associated with the O'Daly clan, a prominent family of poets and scholars based in Westmeath and Meath.
Records show that the Dalys were highly regarded for their literary contributions and were often employed as chief poets and chroniclers by Irish chieftains and kings. The name appears in several ancient Irish manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, which mentions notable Daly poets and scholars from the 12th to the 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Cuan O'Daly, a renowned poet who lived in the 11th century and was renowned for his mastery of the Irish language and poetic traditions. Another notable figure was Muireadach O'Daly, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 12th century and served as the chief poet to several Irish kings.
In the 16th century, the Daly name gained prominence through figures like Donough Mor O'Daly, a renowned poet and historian who served as the chief chronicler to the O'Kelly clan of Hy-Many. His works, including the "Book of O'Daly," provide invaluable insights into Irish history and culture during that period.
The name also had connections to place names in Ireland, such as Daly's Cross in County Westmeath, which was named after the Daly family who held lands in the area. The variant spelling "Daley" was also common, particularly among those who emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world.
Other notable figures throughout history with the surname Daly include:
1. Dermot Daly (1638-1662), an Irish Jesuit and philosopher known for his works on logic and metaphysics.
2. Maurice Daly (1787-1857), an Irish politician and lawyer who served as Solicitor-General for Ireland.
3. Augustin Daly (1838-1899), an American playwright, theater manager, and critic who was influential in the development of American theater.
4. Marcus Daly (1841-1900), an Irish-American businessman and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the copper mining industry in Montana.
5. John Daly (1914-1991), an American actor best known for his roles in films such as "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" and "Paths of Glory."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Daly
Among Census respondents with the surname Daly, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Daly 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 Daly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 27,066
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 1,223
- Black or African American3.3% · 1,003
- Two or more races2.9% · 891
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 266
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 68
Timeline
Historical Census data for Daly
Daly 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
#1,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,330
+896 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 10.62
Rank movement Down 70 places
2020
#1,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,517
-813 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 10.21
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,048 | 30,434 | 11.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,118 | 31,330 | 10.62 | +896 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 70 places |
| 2020 | #1,128 | 30,517 | 10.21 | -813 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 10 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 Daly 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 | #1,118 | #1,128 | -0.9% |
| Count | 31,330 | 30,517 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 10.62 | 10.21 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Daly bearers went from 31,330 to 30,517 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,118 to #1,128.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Daly
FAQ
Daly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Daly?
Name Census estimates that about 34,995 living Americans carry the surname Daly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,794 residents.
How common is Daly?
Daly ranks #1,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,517 people with the surname Daly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,995), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Daly.
Has Daly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Daly went from 31,330 recorded bearers to 30,517. That is a decrease of 813 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,118 to #1,128.
What does the Census say about the background of Daly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Daly, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Daly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (27,066 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Daly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (4.0%), Black (3.3%). 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 Daly (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 Daly mean?
Descendant of Dálach, an Irish Gaelic byname meaning "bold" or "presumptuous," or from the Irish surname Ó Dálaigh, meaning "descendant of Dálach." 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 Daly (10.21 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 surname Daly?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.