History of your Surname
Get access to Dan family records.Start a free trial

Dan Family History

Dan Name Meaning

Romanian; Hungarian (mainly Dán): from a short form of the Biblical personal name Daniel (Hungarian Dániel). Romanian: from a short form of the Slavic personal names Bogdan and Prodan . English (Devon and Cornwall): variant of Dann . Jewish (Israeli): from the Biblical personal name Dan a derivative of Hebrew din ‘to judge’. Vietnamese (Đan): unexplained. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 但 meaning ‘but’ in Chinese: from another Chinese surname Dan (旦) see 7 below.7: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 旦 meaning ‘dawn’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name Dan (旦) fourth son of King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). (ii) adopted in place of another Chinese surname Huan (桓). Some descendants changed their surname in order to avoid feud and some did it because their surname Huan happened to be personal name of Emperor Qinzong of Song (1100–1156 AD) which was taboo in ancient China.8: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 淡 meaning ‘tasteless’ in Chinese: (i) a miswritten form of another homophonous Chinese surname 但 (see 6 above). (ii) said to be adopted as the surname by a citizen Liu Dan (劉淡) in Tongzhou (located in Shaanxi province) during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD) because Liu Dan hated an atrocious eunuch called Liu Jin and did not want to bear the same surname with Liu Jin. As a result he changed his surname to his personal name Dan (淡).9: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 丹 meaning ‘red' in ancient Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Dan Zhu the eldest son of the legendary Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC) who was granted with a fief along the Dan River (located in present-day Henan province). (ii) a surname traced back to other minority ethnic groups in ancient northern China such as the Hui Manchu and Tangut people.10: Japanese: variously written as 段 ‘terrace’ (if topographic) or ‘rank’; 団 or 團 both ‘group’; 檀 ‘sandalwood’; 壇 ‘dais’ or ‘altar’; or 旦 ‘dawn’ (Chinese in origin). All of these tend to be found in central and western Honshū and in Kyūshū.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Dam, Don, Van, Jan, Day, Dahn, Dane, Man, Dau, Dean

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Dan family from?

You can see how Dan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 61 Dan families living in British Columbia. This was about 33% of all the recorded Dan's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Dan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dan. 28% of Dan men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Dan women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dan were Laborer and Nurse. .

View Census Data for Dan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    28%
  • Labourer
    17%
  • Cook
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Nurse
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Dan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dan

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Dan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Dan. For the veterans among your Dan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dan family history

Discover More

What is the average Dan lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Dan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Dan in 1957 was 52, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dan

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dan family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Dan last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial