2000
#2,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,902
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.89
Uncommon Last name
Doan
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Duan, meaning "forge" or "smithy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,953 Americans carry the last name Doan. That puts it at #1,547 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Doan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,207
Census rank
#1,547
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,632 bearers of the surname Doan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1547th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.8%. The next largest groups are White (24.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doan
The surname DOAN has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dun," which means "hill" or "down." The name was likely initially given to someone who lived on or near a hill or a down.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DOAN surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named Walter Doun was mentioned. This spelling variation, "Doun," highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the DOAN surname appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, which listed a Richard Doun. This suggests that the name was present in different parts of England during this period.
The DOAN surname has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Downham in Essex and Downton in Wiltshire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the Old English word "dun."
One notable individual with the DOAN surname was John Donne (1572-1631), an English poet, scholar, and priest. His works, including "Holy Sonnets" and "Meditations," are considered among the greatest in English literature.
Another prominent figure was Sir James Doane (1668-1741), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Woodstock. He played a significant role in the political landscape of his time.
In the 18th century, the DOAN surname was associated with Samuel Doan (1722-1807), an American Quaker minister and abolitionist. He was a vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery and worked tirelessly to promote social justice.
During the 19th century, John Wesley Doane (1799-1859) made a name for himself as an American Episcopal bishop. He served as the first Bishop of New Jersey and played a crucial role in the growth of the Episcopal Church in the United States.
Lastly, Gustavus Adolphus Doane (1837-1923) was an American soldier and civil engineer. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and later became a prominent figure in the field of civil engineering, contributing to various infrastructure projects.
These individuals, spanning different eras and professions, demonstrate the historical significance of the DOAN surname and its enduring presence across various fields and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doan
Among Census respondents with the surname Doan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.8%. The next largest groups are White (24.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Doan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Doan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander70.8% · 16,025
- White24.3% · 5,507
- Two or more races2.9% · 657
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 304
- Black or African American0.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doan
Doan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,760
+3,858 bearers (+24.3%)
Per 100,000 6.70
Rank movement Up 280 places
2020
#1,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,632
+2,872 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 7.57
Rank movement Up 267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,094 | 15,902 | 5.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,814 | 19,760 | 6.70 | +3,858 bearers (+24.3%) | Up 280 places |
| 2020 | #1,547 | 22,632 | 7.57 | +2,872 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 267 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Doan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,814 | #1,547 | 14.7% |
| Count | 19,760 | 22,632 | 14.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.70 | 7.57 | 13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doan bearers went from 19,760 to 22,632 (+14.5% change). The surname moved up 267 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,814 to #1,547.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Doan
FAQ
Doan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doan?
Name Census estimates that about 25,953 living Americans carry the surname Doan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,207 residents.
How common is Doan?
Doan ranks #1,547 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,632 people with the surname Doan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,953), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Doan.
Has Doan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doan went from 19,760 recorded bearers to 22,632. That is an increase of 2,872 (+14.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,814 to #1,547.
What does the Census say about the background of Doan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.8%. The next largest groups are White (24.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Doan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.8% (16,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (70.8%), White (24.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Doan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Doan mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Duan, meaning "forge" or "smithy." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Doan (7.57 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Doan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.