2000
#14,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,912
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Drysdale
Habitational surname derived from a place in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a dry valley or stream bed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,383 Americans carry the last name Drysdale. That puts it at #13,903 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,833 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drysdale 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 Drysdale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,833
Census rank
#13,903
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,078 bearers of the surname Drysdale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13903rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drysdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drysdale
The surname Drysdale originates from the border regions of England and Scotland, where it was derived from a locational name for someone who lived near a dry valley or dale. The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, with early spellings including Driddesdale, Dridale, and Drisdale.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. A certain Nicol de Dridesdale from Berwickshire is listed among the names. The Drysdale family held lands in the Scottish Borders for several centuries and played a role in the conflicts between England and Scotland during the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named John Drysdale (c. 1510-1590) was a Scottish clergyman and reformer who served as the minister of St. Andrews Parish Church. He was a supporter of the Protestant Reformation and played a part in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland.
Another historical figure with the surname was Sir William Drysdale (1637-1692), a Scottish military officer who served as the Governor of Blackness Castle and played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689, which saw the overthrow of King James VII of Scotland.
In the 18th century, James Drysdale (1718-1788) was a Scottish architect and mason who is known for his work on several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the reconstruction of the High Church and the design of the Old College at the University of Edinburgh.
Moving into the 19th century, William Drysdale (1832-1905) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who played a significant role in the development of the state of Victoria. He served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and banking.
Throughout history, the surname Drysdale has been associated with various place names, such as Drysdale in Victoria, Australia, and Drysdale Creek in British Columbia, Canada, which may have been named after individuals with this surname or derived from similar geographical features.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drysdale
Among Census respondents with the surname Drysdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Drysdale 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 Drysdale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8% · 1,637
- Black or African American12.2% · 254
- Two or more races4.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drysdale
Drysdale 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
#14,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,039
+127 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 242 places
2020
#13,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,078
+39 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 696 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,357 | 1,912 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,599 | 2,039 | 0.69 | +127 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 242 places |
| 2020 | #13,903 | 2,078 | 0.70 | +39 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 696 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 Drysdale 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 | #14,599 | #13,903 | 4.8% |
| Count | 2,039 | 2,078 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.70 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drysdale bearers went from 2,039 to 2,078 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 696 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,599 to #13,903.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Drysdale
FAQ
Drysdale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drysdale?
Name Census estimates that about 2,383 living Americans carry the surname Drysdale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,833 residents.
How common is Drysdale?
Drysdale ranks #13,903 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,078 people with the surname Drysdale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,383), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Drysdale.
Has Drysdale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drysdale went from 2,039 recorded bearers to 2,078. That is an increase of 39 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,599 to #13,903.
What does the Census say about the background of Drysdale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drysdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Drysdale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (1,637 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drysdale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.8%), Black (12.2%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Drysdale (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 Drysdale mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a dry valley or stream bed. 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 Drysdale (0.70 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 Drysdale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.