2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dors
A surname denoting someone from the French town of Dors or a nearby place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Dors. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dors 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Dors in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dors, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dors
The surname DORS originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "dor," meaning a door or gate. It was likely an occupational name given to someone who worked as a gatekeeper or doorkeeper, responsible for guarding the entrance to a castle, manor, or town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DORS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Dore" in this historical record, suggesting its early presence in the region.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname DORS began to spread across various parts of England, particularly in areas like Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Some variations of the name included Dore, Dors, and Dorrs, with the latter spelling becoming more prevalent in certain regions.
One notable individual bearing the surname DORS was Sir John Dors (c. 1480-1556), a prominent English politician and courtier during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the dissolution of the monasteries in England.
Another historical figure was Richard Dors (1573-1636), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Arches and Master of the Faculties to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was known for his works on ecclesiastical law and canon law.
In the 18th century, John Dors (1705-1769) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford and the Codrington Library in All Souls College, Oxford.
During the 19th century, the surname DORS was also associated with places like Dors Hill in Oxfordshire and Dors Close in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its geographical connections within England.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname DORS was the English actress Diana Dors (1931-1984), who was a popular sex symbol and film star during the 1950s and 1960s, often referred to as the "English Marilyn Monroe."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dors
Among Census respondents with the surname Dors, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dors 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 Dors surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 88
- Black or African American5.8% · 6
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dors
Dors 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+12 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,303 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-31 bearers (-23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,688 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,303 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -31 bearers (-23.1%) | Down 26,688 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 Dors 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 | #127,494 | #154,182 | -20.9% |
| Count | 134 | 103 | -23.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -31.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dors bearers went from 134 to 103 (-23.1% change). The surname moved down 26,688 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #154,182.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dors
FAQ
Dors surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dors?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Dors. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Dors?
Dors ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Dors. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dors.
Has Dors become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dors went from 134 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 31 (-23.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Dors?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dors, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Dors in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dors appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Dors (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 Dors mean?
A surname denoting someone from the French town of Dors or a nearby place. 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 Dors (0.03 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 have the surname Dors?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.