2000
#80,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Duson
A surname derived from a French place name, possibly a town in Normandy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 232 Americans carry the last name Duson. That puts it at #96,572 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,477,389 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duson 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
232
1 in 1,477,389
Census rank
#96,572
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
202
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 202 bearers of the surname Duson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96572nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.7%. The next largest groups are White (12.9%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duson
The surname Duson originates from France, with roots dating back to the 7th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "dou son," which means "of the sound" or "of the noise." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a loud or noisy place, such as a waterfall or a busy marketplace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Duson can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Redon, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 9th century. This document mentions a man named Radulfus Duson, who was a landowner in the region of Brittany, France.
In the 11th century, the Duson name appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxes in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This entry suggests that the name may have traveled to England during the Norman Conquest.
During the 13th century, the name Duson was associated with a small village in the Burgundy region of France, which was known as "Duson-sur-Loire." This village's name was likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the Duson family had a significant presence in the area.
One notable individual bearing the Duson surname was Jean Duson (1547-1622), a French Protestant theologian and scholar who played a crucial role in the translation of the Geneva Bible. Another prominent figure was Pierre Duson (1690-1755), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais Bourbon.
In the 17th century, the name Duson appeared in records from the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Duijson" or "Duyson." One notable Dutch bearer of the name was Willem Duyson (1625-1697), a successful merchant and ship owner who traded with the Dutch East Indies.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Duson name can be found in various regions of France, as well as in parts of Belgium and Switzerland. Notable individuals from this period include Jacques Duson (1785-1858), a French politician who served as a member of the National Assembly, and Marie-Louise Duson (1812-1890), a Belgian philanthropist and advocate for women's education.
While the origins of the Duson surname can be traced back to France, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duson
Among Census respondents with the surname Duson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.7%. The next largest groups are White (12.9%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Duson 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 Duson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.7% · 159
- White12.9% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 14
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duson
Duson 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
#97,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
-32 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 16,859 places
2020
#96,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 202
+16 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,099 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,812 | 218 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #97,671 | 186 | 0.06 | -32 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 16,859 places |
| 2020 | #96,572 | 202 | 0.07 | +16 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 1,099 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 Duson 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 | #97,671 | #96,572 | 1.1% |
| Count | 186 | 202 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duson bearers went from 186 to 202 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #97,671 to #96,572.
FAQ
Duson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duson?
Name Census estimates that about 232 living Americans carry the surname Duson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,477,389 residents.
How common is Duson?
Duson ranks #96,572 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 202 people with the surname Duson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (232), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Duson.
Has Duson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duson went from 186 recorded bearers to 202. That is an increase of 16 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #97,671 to #96,572.
What does the Census say about the background of Duson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.7%. The next largest groups are White (12.9%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Duson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (159 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (78.7%), White (12.9%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Duson (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 Duson mean?
A surname derived from a French place name, possibly a town in Normandy. 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 Duson (0.07 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 common is the surname Duson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Duson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.