Explore the Family Name Don
The meaning of Don
1. English and Scottish: variant of Dunn. 2. English and Scottish: variant of Dun, a habitational name from Dun in Angus, Scotland. 3. Italian (Veneto): from a variant of the personal name Dono ‘gift (of God)’. 4. Galician: probably a nickname from don ‘favor, kindness’. 5. Hungarian: from a short form of the personal name Donát (see Donath). 6. French: from the old personal name Don, derived from ancient Germanic Dodo, a short form of compound names based on the element dod (see Dodier). 7. French: habitational name from a place called Don, in Nord. 8. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the personal name Don, a variant of Dan. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曾, see Zeng. 10. Vietnamese (Đôn): possibly from the Chinese surname 敦, see Dun 5. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Agustin, Jose, Miguel, Pablo, Ramon, Ruben, Adriana, Ausencio, Eduardo, Enrique, Erasmo, Francisco.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Don in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Don has experienced a decrease in popularity within the United States. From 2000 to 2010, it fell from the 11,523rd most common last name to the 14,398th. This represents a decline of nearly 25 percent. In actual numbers, there were about 17 percent fewer people with this surname in 2010 (2,076 individuals) compared to 2000 (2,504 individuals). The proportion of people named Don per 100,000 also declined by almost 25 percent during this time frame.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,523 | #14,398 | -24.95% |
| Count | 2,504 | 2,076 | -17.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.93 | 0.7 | -24.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Don
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census illustrates some shifts. There was a significant increase in the percentage of individuals with the last name Don who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic, growing by approximately 23 and 62 percent respectively between 2000 and 2010. Meanwhile, those who identify as White or Black saw a decrease by 16 and 24 percent respectively. The proportion of Dons identifying themselves as belonging to two or more races decreased slightly by around 19 percent, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased modestly by around 21 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.03% | 48.51% | -16.41% |
| Hispanic | 14.14% | 22.93% | 62.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 14.74% | 18.11% | 22.86% |
| Black | 9.54% | 7.27% | -23.79% |
| Two or More Races | 2.84% | 2.31% | -18.66% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.87% | 20.83% |