Explore the Family Name Dada
The meaning of Dada
1. Indian (Maharashtra): name meaning ‘elder brother’ in various Indian languages and ‘(paternal) grandfather’ in Hindi and Urdu; also used as an honorific term of address. Bearers of this family are largely Muslims. 2. Muslim: from a personal name based on Persian dāda ‘given’ (i.e. ‘gift of God’), or a nickname from Persian dada ‘wetnurse’. 3. West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Dàda, a circumstance name traditionally given to a child retaining the hair knotted round the crown of the head before the ceremonial first cutting. 4. Albanian: nickname from dadë (definite form dada) ‘wetnurse’, a word of Persian origin (see 2 above), or from a homonymous term used in baby talk as a pet name for the baby’s female caretaker. 5. Cornish: variant of Daddow, perhaps from a Cornish pet form of the Middle English personal name Dodd(e), unrounded to Dadd(e), + the Cornish suffix -ow (see Dodd, and for the Cornish suffix compare Kitto). Alternatively, perhaps from a Cornish pet form of Middle English Dadde as a rhyming pet form of Adam. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Abdul, Arshad, Aslam, Ghulam, Salim, Uzair, Aftab, Aleem, Aly, Aman, Ameen, Asif. Indian Nisha, Gagan, Pradeep.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dada in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Dada" has seen significant growth from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 33,380th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had climbed to the 24,554th spot, marking an increase of 26.44%. Moreover, the count of individuals with this last name also spiked from 645 to 1,018 during this period, a rise of 57.83%. The proportion per 100,000 people in the population bearing this surname also increased by 45.83%, going from 0.24 to 0.35.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,380 | #24,554 | 26.44% |
| Count | 645 | 1,018 | 57.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.35 | 45.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dada
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Dada" from 2000 to 2010. While the largest ethnic group holding this surname is Black, which increased from 48.06% to 53.73% over the decade, there were reductions observed in other categories. For instance, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander dropped by 6.83%, and those reporting two or more races decreased dramatically by 52.3%. On the other hand, the percentage of those identifying as White saw a slight increase of 4.57%. There were no changes in the proportions of Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities during this time frame.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 48.06% | 53.73% | 11.8% |
| White | 18.6% | 19.45% | 4.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 18.45% | 17.19% | -6.83% |
| Two or More Races | 11.32% | 5.4% | -52.3% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |