2000
#21,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Dollins
An Americanized spelling of an English surname derived from Dolan or Dolen, a diminutive of the given name Doll or Dolle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,369 Americans carry the last name Dollins. That puts it at #22,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 250,368 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dollins 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.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 250,368
Census rank
#22,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,194 bearers of the surname Dollins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dollins, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dollins
The surname DOLLINS originates from England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the name Dalling or Dolling, which was derived from the Old English words "dol" meaning "valley" and "ing" meaning "descendant of." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or came from a particular valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DOLLINS surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de Dalling," indicating its association with a specific location or settlement.
During the 13th century, the surname DOLLINS emerged in various areas of England, particularly in counties like Norfolk and Suffolk. Historical records from this period show variations in spelling, including Dolling, Dollinge, and Dollyng.
Notable individuals bearing the DOLLINS surname include Sir William Dollins (1540-1612), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another notable figure was Robert Dollins (1675-1734), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Bath.
In the 17th century, the DOLLINS family established themselves in the county of Dorset, where they owned land and estates. One member of this branch, Thomas Dollins (1692-1768), served as the High Sheriff of Dorset in 1745.
Moving into the 18th century, the DOLLINS surname continued to be associated with various professions and trades. For example, John Dollins (1720-1793) was a respected clockmaker and watchmaker based in London, renowned for his intricate timepieces.
The 19th century saw the DOLLINS name spread further across England and into other parts of the British Isles. Notable individuals from this period include Sarah Dollins (1818-1891), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, and William Dollins (1845-1923), a successful businessman and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and hospitals in his hometown.
As the DOLLINS surname developed over the centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, including Dollin, Dollins, Dollinge, and Dollens. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual families or record keepers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dollins
Among Census respondents with the surname Dollins, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dollins 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 Dollins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 1,058
- Two or more races4.5% · 54
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 47
- Black or African American1.3% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dollins
Dollins 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
#21,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,250
+107 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 315 places
2020
#22,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,194
-56 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 1,127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,349 | 1,143 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,034 | 1,250 | 0.42 | +107 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 315 places |
| 2020 | #22,161 | 1,194 | 0.40 | -56 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 1,127 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 Dollins 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 | #21,034 | #22,161 | -5.4% |
| Count | 1,250 | 1,194 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.40 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dollins bearers went from 1,250 to 1,194 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 1,127 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,034 to #22,161.
FAQ
Dollins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dollins?
Name Census estimates that about 1,369 living Americans carry the surname Dollins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 250,368 residents.
How common is Dollins?
Dollins ranks #22,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,194 people with the surname Dollins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,369), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dollins.
Has Dollins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dollins went from 1,250 recorded bearers to 1,194. That is a decrease of 56 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,034 to #22,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Dollins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dollins, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dollins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (1,058 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dollins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dollins (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 Dollins mean?
An Americanized spelling of an English surname derived from Dolan or Dolen, a diminutive of the given name Doll or Dolle. 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 Dollins (0.40 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 Dollins?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Dollins? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.