2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Diaw
A surname of West African origin, potentially derived from a Senegambian term for rice farming.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 484 Americans carry the last name Diaw. That puts it at #52,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 708,170 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Diaw 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
484
1 in 708,170
Census rank
#52,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
422
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 422 bearers of the surname Diaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Diaw, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Diaw
The surname DIAW originated in the Middle Ages in the area that is now known as Senegal, West Africa. It is derived from the Wolof word "diaw," meaning "wealth" or "prosperity." This connection suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly prosperous or wealthy in their community.
In the 14th century, the DIAW name first appeared in records kept by the ancient Kingdom of Jolof, which ruled over parts of present-day Senegal and Gambia. These records document a prominent family with the DIAW surname who held significant land and influence in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the DIAW name was Boubacar DIAW, born in 1412, who served as a trusted advisor to the King of Jolof. His son, Mamadou DIAW (1438-1502), was a renowned scholar and poet who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Wolof people.
As the centuries passed, the DIAW name spread beyond Senegal, carried by merchants and travelers throughout West Africa. In the 18th century, a notable DIAW was Fatima DIAW (1725-1798), a successful businesswoman and philanthropist from present-day Mali, who funded the construction of several mosques and schools in her community.
During the colonial era, the DIAW name also appeared in records kept by European powers in West Africa. One notable figure was Amadou DIAW (1842-1912), a prominent leader in the resistance against French colonial rule in Senegal.
In more recent times, the DIAW name has gained international recognition through individuals such as Gorgui DIAW (born 1990), a professional basketball player from Senegal who has played in the NBA for teams like the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets.
Other notable individuals with the DIAW surname include Aminata DIAW (born 1959), a Senegalese author and activist known for her work promoting women's rights and education, and Abdoulaye DIAW (1920-1985), a renowned Senegalese artist and sculptor whose works are displayed in museums around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Diaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Diaw, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Diaw 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 Diaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.6% · 378
- Two or more races5.0% · 21
- White2.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Diaw
Diaw 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
#73,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 263
+135 bearers (+105.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 50,443 places
2020
#52,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 422
+159 bearers (+60.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 20,668 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,666 | 263 | 0.09 | +135 bearers (+105.5%) | Up 50,443 places |
| 2020 | #52,998 | 422 | 0.14 | +159 bearers (+60.5%) | Up 20,668 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 Diaw 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 | #73,666 | #52,998 | 28.1% |
| Count | 263 | 422 | 60.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.14 | 56.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Diaw bearers went from 263 to 422 (+60.5% change). The surname moved up 20,668 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,666 to #52,998.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Diaw
FAQ
Diaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Diaw?
Name Census estimates that about 484 living Americans carry the surname Diaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 708,170 residents.
How common is Diaw?
Diaw ranks #52,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 422 people with the surname Diaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (484), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Diaw.
Has Diaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Diaw went from 263 recorded bearers to 422. That is an increase of 159 (+60.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #73,666 to #52,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Diaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Diaw, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Diaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (378 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Diaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%), White (2.6%). 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 Diaw (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 Diaw mean?
A surname of West African origin, potentially derived from a Senegambian term for rice farming. 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 Diaw (0.14 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 Diaw?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Diaw, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.