Explore the Family Name Dakota
The meaning of Dakota
1. Native American (Sioux): ethnic name from the name of the Native American Dakota people, a division of the Sioux nation, which means ‘allied’ (or ‘allies’) and ‘friendly’ (or ‘friends’) in their language (compare Lakota 4). 2. In North America, this surname is many cases apparently also an adoption of 1 above in place of some other (perhaps like-sounding) surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dakota in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Dakota has seen a considerable increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname Dakota improved from being the 82,691st most popular name in 2000 to the 64,891st in 2010, marking a significant change of 21.53%. In terms of actual count, the number of people bearing the Dakota surname rose from 212 in 2000 to 306 in 2010, which is an increase of 44.34%. The proportion of the Dakota surname per 100,000 people also saw an uptick from 0.08 in 2000 to 0.1 in 2010, an increase of 25%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #82,691 | #64,891 | 21.53% |
| Count | 212 | 306 | 44.34% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.1 | 25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dakota
The Decennial U.S. Census data sheds light on the ethnicity associated with the surname Dakota. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, with the percentage increasing from 55.19% in 2000 to 61.76% in 2010. The representation of those identifying as having two or more ethnic identities also increased by 50.18%, from 5.66% in 2000 to 8.50% in 2010. However, there was a decrease in the number of people identifying as Hispanic, from 6.13% in 2000 to 4.90% in 2010, a decline of 20.07%. Similarly, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased from 26.89% in 2000 to 21.90% in 2010, a decrease of 18.56%. The data for Asian/Pacific Islander and Black was suppressed for privacy.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.19% | 61.76% | 11.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 26.89% | 21.9% | -18.56% |
| Two or More Races | 5.66% | 8.5% | 50.18% |
| Hispanic | 6.13% | 4.9% | -20.07% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |