2000
#5,980
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,301
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Daughtry
An Irish surname derived from Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach," a personal name meaning "hurtful" or "obstructive."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,128 Americans carry the last name Daughtry. That puts it at #6,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,932 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Daughtry 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 Daughtry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 55,932
Census rank
#6,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,344 bearers of the surname Daughtry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Daughtry, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Daughtry
The surname Daughtry has its origins in England, where it first appeared sometime around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dohtor," meaning daughter, and may have been used as a descriptive name for someone who had a particularly close relationship with their daughter or who had an occupation involving caring for or teaching young girls.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Daughtry can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a John Doughtri is mentioned. The spelling variations of the name during this time included Doughtri, Doughtrie, and Doughtery.
In the 14th century, the name Daughtry was found in various records across different regions of England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a Walter Doughtry. This suggests that the name had spread and become more widespread throughout the country.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Daughtry gained further prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was William Daughtry, a merchant from Bristol who was born in 1586 and played a significant role in the city's trade with the Americas.
Another notable figure was Thomas Daughtry, an English clergyman born in 1624 who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Wimborne Minster, Dorset. His writings and sermons from the time provide valuable insight into the religious and social climate of the era.
In the 18th century, the Daughtry surname continued to be present in various parts of England, with records showing individuals with this name residing in counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Gloucestershire.
One noteworthy individual from this period was John Daughtry, a prominent landowner and magistrate from Gloucestershire, who lived from 1710 to 1782. His estate and influence within the local community were well-documented.
As the 19th century dawned, the Daughtry name gained recognition beyond England's borders. James Daughtry, born in 1812 in Somerset, was a successful merchant who established trading links between England and the British colonies in the West Indies.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Daughtry who have left their mark on history throughout the centuries. The name's origins and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of England's cultural and social landscapes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Daughtry
Among Census respondents with the surname Daughtry, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Daughtry 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 Daughtry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.8% · 3,302
- Black or African American30.0% · 1,605
- Two or more races3.7% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 159
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Daughtry
Daughtry 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
#5,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,816
+515 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Up 55 places
2020
#6,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,344
-472 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,980 | 5,301 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,925 | 5,816 | 1.97 | +515 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 55 places |
| 2020 | #6,145 | 5,344 | 1.79 | -472 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 220 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 Daughtry 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 | #5,925 | #6,145 | -3.7% |
| Count | 5,816 | 5,344 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.97 | 1.79 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Daughtry bearers went from 5,816 to 5,344 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 220 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,925 to #6,145.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Daughtry
FAQ
Daughtry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Daughtry?
Name Census estimates that about 6,128 living Americans carry the surname Daughtry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,932 residents.
How common is Daughtry?
Daughtry ranks #6,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,344 people with the surname Daughtry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Daughtry.
Has Daughtry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Daughtry went from 5,816 recorded bearers to 5,344. That is a decrease of 472 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,925 to #6,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Daughtry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Daughtry, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Daughtry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.8% (3,302 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Daughtry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.8%), Black (30.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Daughtry (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 Daughtry mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach," a personal name meaning "hurtful" or "obstructive." 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 Daughtry (1.79 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 share the surname Daughtry?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.