2000
#49,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Danger
A surname potentially derived from the French word "danger" meaning one who lived in a dangerous area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 672 Americans carry the last name Danger. That puts it at #40,323 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 510,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Danger 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 Danger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
672
1 in 510,051
Census rank
#40,323
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
586
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 586 bearers of the surname Danger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40323rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Danger, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.6%) and Hispanic (16.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Danger
The surname Danger is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "danger," which means "power" or "authority." This word was likely used to describe someone who held a position of authority or power within their community.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Danger dates back to the late 12th century, when it was found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. However, the name was likely in use in France before this time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Danger was Renaud Danger, a French nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX and served as a member of the king's council.
In the 14th century, the surname Danger appeared in various records throughout France, including the regions of Normandy and Brittany. During this time, the name was often associated with families of noble or wealthy status.
Another notable figure with the surname Danger was Jean Danger, a French poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Paris in 1535 and is best known for his works that satirized the political and social issues of his time.
In England, the surname Danger can be traced back to the 15th century, when it was likely brought over by French immigrants or settlers. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was that of William Danger, who was born in London in 1472.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Danger continued to be found throughout France and England, with some individuals bearing the name achieving prominence in various fields. For example, Jacques Danger was a French philosopher and scholar who lived in the late 17th century and made significant contributions to the study of logic and metaphysics.
Another notable figure with the surname Danger was Pierre Danger, a French artist and engraver who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural scenes, which were highly sought after by collectors of his time.
As the surname Danger spread throughout Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Dangre, Dangier, and Dangere. These variations were often the result of regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Danger
Among Census respondents with the surname Danger, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.6%) and Hispanic (16.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Danger 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 Danger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.4% · 342
- Black or African American19.6% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino16.6% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 16
- Two or more races2.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Danger
Danger 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
#46,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 459
+56 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 2,653 places
2020
#40,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 586
+127 bearers (+27.7%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,057 | 403 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,404 | 459 | 0.16 | +56 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 2,653 places |
| 2020 | #40,323 | 586 | 0.20 | +127 bearers (+27.7%) | Up 6,081 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 Danger 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 | #46,404 | #40,323 | 13.1% |
| Count | 459 | 586 | 27.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.20 | 22.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Danger bearers went from 459 to 586 (+27.7% change). The surname moved up 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,404 to #40,323.
FAQ
Danger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Danger?
Name Census estimates that about 672 living Americans carry the surname Danger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 510,051 residents.
How common is Danger?
Danger ranks #40,323 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 586 people with the surname Danger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (672), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Danger.
Has Danger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Danger went from 459 recorded bearers to 586. That is an increase of 127 (+27.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #46,404 to #40,323.
What does the Census say about the background of Danger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Danger, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.6%) and Hispanic (16.6%). 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 Danger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.4% (342 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Danger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.4%), Black (19.6%), Hispanic (16.6%). 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 Danger (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 Danger mean?
A surname potentially derived from the French word "danger" meaning one who lived in a dangerous area. 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 Danger (0.20 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 Danger?
If you just want to know how common the surname Danger is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.