Dart
An English surname that can come from a place-name, especially from the River Dart in Devon, or less securely from the Old English word for a dart or spear.
The #9,092 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 85,906 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Most likely, Dart is a locational surname taken from the River Dart in Devon, which is recorded in older surname dictionaries as a source of the name. The river name itself is ancient and may be pre-English in origin, though it was later associated by speakers with the English word dart. In some cases, the surname may also reflect Old English pil, meaning a dart or missile, but that is a weaker explanation for this exact form.
History
The surname is relatively uncommon and is found in England and later in countries shaped by English migration. Historical surname dictionaries particularly link it with Devon place-names and the River Dart. Because it is short and ambiguous, some early writers also connected it with words for weapons or missiles, but the place-name derivation is usually the safest explanation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The River Dart in Devon also gave its name to Dartmouth, one of England’s best-known harbor towns.
From the historical record
“DARRINGTON. A parish in York- shire. DART. A river of Devonshire. DARTJtIOUTH. A town in Devon- shire. DARTON. A parish in Yorkshire. DARVELL. DARVILL. An estate near Battel, co. Sussex. DARWIN. Deorwynwas an A-Sax. fe-”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom