Explore the Family Name Duce
The meaning of Duce
1. English: variant of Dowse, a nickname from Middle English douce, dowce ‘sweet, pleasant’ (Old French dolz, dous, later doux). The name was sometimes used as a woman’s personal name and occasionally used for a man. Alternatively, the name may arise from the Middle English personal name Douce, occasionally male but mostly female, borrowed from Old French Douce (from Latin Dulcia, derived from Latin dulcis ‘sweet’). The variant Duce is mostly pronounced to rhyme with loose, in contrast with Dowse, mostly pronounced to rhyme with house. 2. Italian: nickname from duce ‘leader, chief’, from Latin dux.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Duce in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Duce has seen some fluctuations in popularity over the years. In 2000, Duce ranked as the 41,130th most common surname, with about 500 people sharing the name. By 2010, the rank had slightly dropped to 42,790, even though the count of individuals bearing the surname saw a minor increase to 506. This indicates a decline in the name's popularity, with its proportion per 100,000 people decreasing by 10.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,130 | #42,790 | -4.04% |
| Count | 500 | 506 | 1.2% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.17 | -10.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Duce
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Duce, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, also underwent shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of Duce bearers identified as White, making up 92.60% in 2000 and 90.71% in 2010, showing a slight decrease. There was also a significant growth in those identifying as Black, from 2% in 2000 to 4.55% in 2010. The portion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a small rise from 1.60% to 1.78%, while the Hispanic ethnicity saw a large reduction from 2.40% to 1.38%. No changes were observed for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native or those belonging to two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.6% | 90.71% | -2.04% |
| Black | 2% | 4.55% | 127.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.6% | 1.78% | 11.25% |
| Hispanic | 2.4% | 1.38% | -42.5% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |