2000
#829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,903
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.05
Uncommon Last name
Dougherty
An Irish surname derived from Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach," a personal name meaning "hurtful" or "obstructive."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,445 Americans carry the last name Dougherty. That puts it at #950 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,270 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dougherty 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 Dougherty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
41K
1 in 8,270
Census rank
#950
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,142 bearers of the surname Dougherty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 950th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dougherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dougherty
The surname Dougherty is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic name Ó Dochartaigh. This name is derived from the Irish words "doch" meaning "hurtful" and "artach" meaning "bear." It likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a fierce or bear-like demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the Dougherty name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name appears in these records as early as the 14th century, with references to individuals such as Donnchadh Ó Dochartaigh, who lived in the late 1300s.
In its original Irish form, the name was often anglicized to various spellings, including Doherty, Dogherty, and Daugherty, before settling on the more common Dougherty spelling. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Donegal and Derry in Ulster, where the Ó Dochartaigh clan held significant influence.
One notable historical figure bearing the Dougherty name was Cú Chonnacht Ó Dochartaigh, a prominent Irish chieftain who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was the Lord of Inishowen and played a crucial role in the conflicts between the Irish and English during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
Another famous Dougherty was Sir John Dougherty (1598-1689), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Irish Parliament and held the position of Recorder of Dublin. He was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In the literary world, the name Dougherty is associated with Michael Dougherty (1844-1922), an Irish-American writer and poet who is best known for his works celebrating the Irish-American experience, such as "The Bard of Erin" and "Songs of the Gael."
Moving across the Atlantic, one cannot overlook the significance of the Dougherty name in American history. One notable figure was Daniel Dougherty (1865-1938), a renowned lawyer and orator from Philadelphia. He gained national recognition for his passionate defense of civil liberties and his eloquent speeches on various political and social issues.
Finally, a more recent historical figure with the Dougherty name is Michael Dougherty (born 1974), an American filmmaker and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the critically acclaimed horror films "Trick 'r Treat" and "Krampus," as well as co-writing the superhero film "X-Men: Apocalypse."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dougherty
Among Census respondents with the surname Dougherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dougherty 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 Dougherty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 33,094
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,258
- Two or more races2.9% · 1,051
- Black or African American1.0% · 370
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 278
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 91
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dougherty
Dougherty 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
#915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,884
-19 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 12.84
Rank movement Down 86 places
2020
#950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,142
-1,742 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 12.09
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #829 | 37,903 | 14.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #915 | 37,884 | 12.84 | -19 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 86 places |
| 2020 | #950 | 36,142 | 12.09 | -1,742 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 35 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 Dougherty 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 | #915 | #950 | -3.8% |
| Count | 37,884 | 36,142 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 12.84 | 12.09 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dougherty bearers went from 37,884 to 36,142 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #915 to #950.
FAQ
Dougherty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dougherty?
Name Census estimates that about 41,445 living Americans carry the surname Dougherty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,270 residents.
How common is Dougherty?
Dougherty ranks #950 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,142 people with the surname Dougherty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Dougherty.
Has Dougherty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dougherty went from 37,884 recorded bearers to 36,142. That is a decrease of 1,742 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #915 to #950.
What does the Census say about the background of Dougherty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dougherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dougherty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (33,094 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dougherty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.5%), 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 Dougherty (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 Dougherty mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach," a personal name meaning "hurtful" or "obstructive." 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 Dougherty (12.09 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 common is the surname Dougherty?
You can see how many people have the surname Dougherty on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.