2000
#1,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.00
Uncommon Last name
Doherty
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach," a personal name meaning "obstructive" or "hurtful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,843 Americans carry the last name Doherty. That puts it at #1,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,113 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doherty 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 Doherty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,113
Census rank
#1,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,897 bearers of the surname Doherty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doherty
The surname Doherty originated in Ireland and is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach." Dochartach was a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "dochartach," meaning "hurtful" or "obstructive." The name is believed to have originated in the northern part of Ireland, particularly in County Donegal.
The Dohertys were a prominent Irish clan with a long history dating back to the 12th century. They were one of the most powerful families in the region and held a significant amount of land and influence. The name can be traced back to ancient Irish manuscripts and records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which document the clan's activities and history.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Fergal Ó Dochartaigh, who lived in the 13th century and was the chief of the clan. The name also appears in the Annals of Ulster, which mention several notable Dohertys, including Aodh Ó Dochartaigh, who was described as a "wealthy and affluent man" in the 14th century.
Over time, the name has been anglicized in various ways, including Doherty, Daugherty, and Dougherty. The name is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Ballyougherty and Ardougherty, which are believed to have derived from the Doherty clan's presence in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Doherty throughout history include:
1. John Doherty (1785-1854), an Irish politician and member of the United Kingdom Parliament.
2. Edward Doherty (1823-1908), an Irish-American Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia.
3. Pat Doherty (1913-2003), an Irish hurler who played for the Kilkenny senior hurling team and won six All-Ireland medals.
4. Móna Doherty (1904-1994), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Free State Seanad Éireann.
5. Shannen Doherty (born 1971), an American actress known for her roles in popular television shows like "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doherty
Among Census respondents with the surname Doherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Doherty 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 Doherty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 24,853
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 748
- Two or more races2.6% · 697
- Black or African American1.1% · 301
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 236
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 62
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doherty
Doherty 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
#1,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,787
+809 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 9.42
Rank movement Down 73 places
2020
#1,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,897
-890 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 9.00
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,191 | 26,978 | 10.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,264 | 27,787 | 9.42 | +809 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 73 places |
| 2020 | #1,280 | 26,897 | 9.00 | -890 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 16 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 Doherty 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 | #1,264 | #1,280 | -1.3% |
| Count | 27,787 | 26,897 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 9.42 | 9.00 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doherty bearers went from 27,787 to 26,897 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,264 to #1,280.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Doherty
FAQ
Doherty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doherty?
Name Census estimates that about 30,843 living Americans carry the surname Doherty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,113 residents.
How common is Doherty?
Doherty ranks #1,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,897 people with the surname Doherty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,843), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Doherty.
Has Doherty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doherty went from 27,787 recorded bearers to 26,897. That is a decrease of 890 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,264 to #1,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Doherty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Doherty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (24,853 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doherty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Doherty (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 Doherty mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach," a personal name meaning "obstructive" or "hurtful." 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 Doherty (9.00 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 people are called Doherty?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Doherty at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.