How common is the surname Dawson?

83,182 people in the United States had the surname Dawson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,712 Americans. It ranked 380th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Dawson?

Rosario Dawson, American actress (born 1979), followed by Roxann Dawson.

Where is the surname Dawson most common?

Wikidata records people named Dawson in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 3 other countries.

How do you pronounce Dawson?

Dawson is /ˈdɔːsən/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Dawson getting more or less common?

More common. 80,190 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 83,182 in 2010, up 3.7%.

Is Dawson also a first name?

Yes. Dawson is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Dawson

An English patronymic surname, carried by 83,182 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈdɔːsən/ 2 syllables Soundex D250 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Dawson is more common than 99.8% of them.

Origin

English origin

From Daw, a Middle English pet form of David + -son.

Dawson is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 1,446 English surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 83,182 people named Dawson in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 3,712 Americans. That is up 3.7% since 2000, when the Census counted 80,190.

#380

rank among US surnames

83,182

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+3.7%

change since 2000 (was #355)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#371	Graves	84,179	3,668
#372	Bush	84,018	3,675
#373	Thornton	83,967	3,677
#374	Wolfe	83,928	3,679
#375	Warner	83,781	3,685
#376	Cabrera	83,621	3,692
#377	McKinney	83,616	3,692

Who is named Dawson

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

68% of people named Dawson identified as white (not Hispanic), 26% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.3% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 68%
Black (not Hispanic) 26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3%
Two or more races 2.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Dawsons

36 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Rosario Dawson
American actress (born 1979)
Roxann Dawson
American actress and director, born 1958
Richard Dawson
British actor (1932–2012)
Charles Dawson
British archaeological forger (1864-1916)
Scott Dawson
American professional wrestler, born 1984
Casey Dawson
American speed skater, born 2000
Anthony Dawson
British actor (1916-1992)
Kimya Dawson
American musician, born 1972
Doris Dawson
American actress (1909–1986)
Dana Dawson
American actress, singer (1974-2010)
Ralph Dawson
American film editor (1897-1962)
Chad Dawson
American professional boxer, born 1982

Notable Dawsons come mostly from the United States (24), the United Kingdom (5) and Australia (4).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Dawson

Dawson has the Soundex code D250, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code D250.

Other English surnames

All 1,446 English surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Dawson come from?: From Daw, a Middle English pet form of David + -son.
How common is the surname Dawson?: 83,182 people in the United States had the surname Dawson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,712 Americans. It ranked 380th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Dawson?: In the 2010 Census, 68% of people named Dawson identified as white (not Hispanic), and 26% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Dawson?: Rosario Dawson, American actress (born 1979), followed by Roxann Dawson.
Where is the surname Dawson most common?: Wikidata records people named Dawson in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Dawson?: Dawson is /ˈdɔːsən/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Dawson?: Dawson is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Dawson getting more or less common?: More common. 80,190 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 83,182 in 2010, up 3.7%.
Is Dawson also a first name?: Yes. Dawson is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.