2000
#9,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Dash
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "dasshe," referring to someone who lived near a marsh or fen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,844 Americans carry the last name Dash. That puts it at #7,580 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,759 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dash 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 Dash with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 70,759
Census rank
#7,580
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,224 bearers of the surname Dash in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7580th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dash, the largest self-reported group is White at 35.9%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (26.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dash
The surname Dash is of Anglo-Saxon origin, originating in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "daege," meaning "day," and was likely a nickname given to someone who worked during daylight hours or was known for their punctuality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dash surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Dasche." This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the Dash surname was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, suggesting the family's presence in that region. Additionally, the name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, indicating its spread across different parts of England.
The Dash surname may also have ties to certain place names, such as Dashwood in Buckinghamshire, which could have influenced its development.
Notable individuals bearing the Dash surname include:
1. Ralph Dash (c. 1480 - 1558), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Southwark during the reign of Queen Mary I.
2. Thomas Dash (c. 1570 - 1631), an English clergyman and scholar who served as Rector of Wolverhampton.
3. Samuel Dash (1925 - 2004), an American lawyer and legal scholar who served as chief counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee during the Watergate scandal.
4. Jeremiah Dash (c. 1689 - 1767), a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from London, known for his contributions to horology.
5. Renee Dash (born 1967), an American actress and singer, best known for her role in the film "Precious" (2009).
The Dash surname has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in an occupational nickname. While the name may have evolved in spelling and distribution over the centuries, it continues to be a part of various cultural and historical narratives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dash
Among Census respondents with the surname Dash, the largest self-reported group is White at 35.9%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (26.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dash 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 Dash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White35.9% · 1,515
- Black or African American29.9% · 1,265
- Asian and Pacific Islander26.4% · 1,115
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 167
- Two or more races3.0% · 127
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dash
Dash 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
#8,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,828
+617 bearers (+19.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 722 places
2020
#7,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,224
+396 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 1,019 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,321 | 3,211 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,599 | 3,828 | 1.30 | +617 bearers (+19.2%) | Up 722 places |
| 2020 | #7,580 | 4,224 | 1.41 | +396 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,019 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 Dash 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 | #8,599 | #7,580 | 11.9% |
| Count | 3,828 | 4,224 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.41 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dash bearers went from 3,828 to 4,224 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 1,019 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,599 to #7,580.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dash
FAQ
Dash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dash?
Name Census estimates that about 4,844 living Americans carry the surname Dash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,759 residents.
How common is Dash?
Dash ranks #7,580 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,224 people with the surname Dash. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dash.
Has Dash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dash went from 3,828 recorded bearers to 4,224. That is an increase of 396 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,599 to #7,580.
What does the Census say about the background of Dash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dash, the largest self-reported group is White at 35.9%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (26.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 35.9% (1,515 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (35.9%), Black (29.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (26.4%). 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 Dash (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 Dash mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "dasshe," referring to someone who lived near a marsh or fen. 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 Dash (1.41 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 Dash?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.