2000
#66,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 277
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Dardy
An occupational surname deriving from the term for a door-keeper or doorman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 394 Americans carry the last name Dardy. That puts it at #62,792 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 869,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dardy 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.
Bearers in the US
394
1 in 869,935
Census rank
#62,792
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
344
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 344 bearers of the surname Dardy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62792nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dardy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.6%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dardy
The surname DARDY originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "deor," meaning "deer," and the suffix "-dy," which was commonly used to signify a dweller or someone associated with a particular place or occupation. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the DARDY name may have been individuals who lived near a deer park or were involved in hunting or managing deer populations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DARDY surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, an extensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears there as "de Derdi," a Norman French variation that likely emerged during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the surname was recorded as "Derdy" and "Derdi" in various historical documents from counties such as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots to its more modern form.
One notable individual with the DARDY surname was Sir John Dardy, a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Another figure was William Dardy, a landowner and prominent figure in Lincolnshire during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the surname was sometimes spelled "Dardy" or "Dardye," as evidenced by records from the parish of Uffington in Lincolnshire. This period also saw the birth of Richard Dardy (1623-1697), a noted English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Winwick in Lancashire.
Moving into the 18th century, the DARDY surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with notable bearers including James Dardy (1738-1811), a businessman and philanthropist from Staffordshire who made significant contributions to the establishment of schools and hospitals in the region.
Throughout its history, the DARDY surname has been associated with various places in England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire, where it has deep roots dating back to the medieval period. While not as widespread as some other English surnames, it has left its mark on the historical records of these regions and continues to be carried by individuals today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dardy
Among Census respondents with the surname Dardy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.6%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dardy 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 Dardy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.6% · 267
- White14.8% · 51
- Two or more races4.4% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dardy
Dardy 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
#68,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 289
+12 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,446 places
2020
#62,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 344
+55 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 5,330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,676 | 277 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,122 | 289 | 0.10 | +12 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 1,446 places |
| 2020 | #62,792 | 344 | 0.12 | +55 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 5,330 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 Dardy 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 | #68,122 | #62,792 | 7.8% |
| Count | 289 | 344 | 19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.12 | 15.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dardy bearers went from 289 to 344 (+19.0% change). The surname moved up 5,330 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,122 to #62,792.
FAQ
Dardy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dardy?
Name Census estimates that about 394 living Americans carry the surname Dardy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 869,935 residents.
How common is Dardy?
Dardy ranks #62,792 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 344 people with the surname Dardy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (394), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Dardy.
Has Dardy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dardy went from 289 recorded bearers to 344. That is an increase of 55 (+19.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #68,122 to #62,792.
What does the Census say about the background of Dardy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dardy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.6%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dardy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.6% (267 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dardy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.6%), White (14.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Dardy (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 Dardy mean?
An occupational surname deriving from the term for a door-keeper or doorman. 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 Dardy (0.12 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 Americans have the surname Dardy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.