Explore the Family Name Dam
The meaning of Dam
1. Vietnamese (Đàm): from the Chinese surnames 譚, 谈 and 覃, see Tan 1–3. 2. Cambodian: written ដាំ, possibly of Vietnamese origin (see above). The surname ដាំ also corresponds to the Khmer word meaning e.g. ‘to plant’. 3. Dutch, Swedish, and Danish: topographic name for someone living by a dam or pond (dam). Compare Dutch Van Dam. 4. English (Kent and Surrey): topographic name from Middle English dam ‘dam, bank (of a stream)’, denoting someone who lived by such a feature. 5. German: variant of Damm. 6. German (also Däm): from a short form of the personal name Damian or Adam. 7. French: regional variant of Dain ‘agile, nimble’. The French surname is in part (in Lorraine) of German origin; see above. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Hung, Hoa, Tuan, Ngoc, Thanh, Binh, Chanh, Duc, Hiep, Minh, Nu, Tien. Southeast Asian Hong, Chan, Dong, Hon, Man, Oi, Ok, Phoung, Sang, Sokhom, Sun.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dam in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dam has increased in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Dam was ranked 11,287 and had a count of 2,570 people with this surname. This number rose to 3,186 by 2010, pushing the ranking up to 10,114, a growth rate of over 10%. The proportion of individuals with the Dam surname per 100,000 also saw an increase from 0.95 in 2000 to 1.08 in 2010, indicating a greater prevalence of this name in the population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,287 | #10,114 | 10.39% |
| Count | 2,570 | 3,186 | 23.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.95 | 1.08 | 13.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dam
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data revealed that a majority of individuals with the surname Dam identifies as Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for approximately 76.18% in 2010, an increase from 69.92% in 2000. People of white ethnicity accounted for the second largest group at 19.11% in 2010, although this marked a notable decrease from 25.45% in 2000. Other ethnic identities associated with the surname Dam include Hispanic (1.91%), Black (0.78%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.16%) as of 2010, with changes in these categories showing varied trends over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 69.92% | 76.18% | 8.95% |
| White | 25.45% | 19.11% | -24.91% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 1.91% | 19.37% |
| Two or More Races | 1.87% | 1.85% | -1.07% |
| Black | 0.82% | 0.78% | -4.88% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.16% | -54.29% |