2000
#763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.24
Uncommon Last name
Dorsey
Derived from the French place name "Orsay," referring to someone who originated from that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 47,817 Americans carry the last name Dorsey. That puts it at #804 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,168 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dorsey 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 Dorsey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
48K
1 in 7,168
Census rank
#804
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
42K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 41,699 bearers of the surname Dorsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 804th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dorsey
The surname Dorsey is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning "deer" and "sæte" meaning "dweller," suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a deer habitat or forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Doresate." This medieval census, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and their holdings throughout England.
Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Dorsett, Dorset, and Dorsey. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions and the influence of regional dialects.
In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a record of landholders and their holdings. The entry "Robertus de Dorsete" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in the region.
One notable figure with the surname Dorsey was Sir John Dorsey (c. 1470-1530), a prominent English diplomat and courtier during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as the Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire and was knighted for his service to the Crown.
Another prominent individual was Edward Dorsey (1646-1705), an English settler who emigrated to the American colonies in the late 17th century. He established himself in Maryland and became a prominent landowner and politician, serving as a member of the Maryland General Assembly.
In the 18th century, John Dorsey (1734-1818) was a notable American politician and jurist from Maryland. He served as a member of the Continental Congress and later became a judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals.
The name also has connections to various place names in England, such as Dorset, a county in the southwest region. The similarity in spelling suggests a potential link between the surname and the geographical location.
Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993), known as the "Father of Gospel Music," was an influential American musician and composer who helped popularize gospel music in the 20th century. His compositions, including "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," became widely recognized and influential in the genre.
Throughout history, the Dorsey surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, diplomats, landowners, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dorsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dorsey 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 Dorsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American50.2% · 20,924
- White40.5% · 16,869
- Two or more races5.5% · 2,290
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 1,237
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 201
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 178
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dorsey
Dorsey 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
#793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,631
+2,527 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 14.79
Rank movement Down 30 places
2020
#804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,699
-1,932 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 13.95
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #763 | 41,104 | 15.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #793 | 43,631 | 14.79 | +2,527 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 30 places |
| 2020 | #804 | 41,699 | 13.95 | -1,932 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 11 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 Dorsey 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 | #793 | #804 | -1.4% |
| Count | 43,631 | 41,699 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 14.79 | 13.95 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dorsey bearers went from 43,631 to 41,699 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #793 to #804.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dorsey
FAQ
Dorsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dorsey?
Name Census estimates that about 47,817 living Americans carry the surname Dorsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,168 residents.
How common is Dorsey?
Dorsey ranks #804 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 41,699 people with the surname Dorsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (47,817), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Dorsey.
Has Dorsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dorsey went from 43,631 recorded bearers to 41,699. That is a decrease of 1,932 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #793 to #804.
What does the Census say about the background of Dorsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dorsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.2% (20,924 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dorsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (50.2%), White (40.5%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Dorsey (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 Dorsey mean?
Derived from the French place name "Orsay," referring to someone who originated from that location. 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 Dorsey (13.95 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 Dorsey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.