Explore the Family Name Dass

The meaning of Dass

1. North German: from Middle Low German das ‘badger’, a nickname for a person who resembled the animal in some way. 2. English (Orkney): variant of Dace. 3. Probably also an Americanized form of Dutch Das ‘badger’. 4. Indian: variant of Das. History: The father of the Norwegian poet Petter Dass (1647–1707), Peter Don Dass, emigrated from Scotland to Norway. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Bhagwan, Ishwar, Ram, Charan, Savitri, Bawa, Dharam, Kumar, Reena, Ajay, Anil, Anurag.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Dass in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dass has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 22,322nd most common and by 2010, it had risen to the 18,888th position, marking a 15.38% change. The number of individuals with the last name Dass also increased during this period, moving from 1,077 in 2000 to 1,446 in 2010, which represents a 34.26% leap. The proportion per 100,000 people also increased from 0.4 in 2000 to 0.49 in 2010, a change of 22.5%.

20002010Change
Rank#22,322#18,88815.38%
Count1,0771,44634.26%
Proportion per 100k0.40.4922.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dass

Moving onto the ethnic identity associated with the surname Dass, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals an interesting shift between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander individuals with this surname grew from 52.37% to 55.05%, a 5.12% increase. However, there was a decrease in the percentage of those identifying as two or more races, from 13.37% to 8.64%, signaling a 35.38% drop. The percentage of White individuals decreased slightly from 22.56% to 20.61%. Meanwhile, there was a notable rise in the Hispanic and Black communities, with the former going from zero to 3.94% and the latter seeing a 32.07% increase, moving from 8.17% to 10.79%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native community saw the introduction of the Dass surname for the first time in 2010, representing 0.97% of the total.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander52.37%55.05%5.12%
White22.56%20.61%-8.64%
Black8.17%10.79%32.07%
Two or More Races13.37%8.64%-35.38%
Hispanic0%3.94%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.97%0%