Dosie
A diminutive form of the French name Dosithée, derived from Greek meaning "given by God".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Dosie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 70.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Dosie today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dosie births was 1924 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dosie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Dosie is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Dosies were born before 1969.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dosie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1924
12 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
1924 SSA rank
#4,512
Tracked since 1914
Gender
Gender distribution for Dosie
Dosie is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 40 total registrations, 12 (30.0%) were male and 28 (70.0%) were female.
Dosie as a male name
- Ranked #4,512 in 1924
- 5 male births in 1924
- Peak: 1920 (7 births)
Dosie as a female name
- Ranked #4,901 in 1928
- 5 female births in 1928
- Peak: 1914 (8 births)
Popularity
Dosie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dosie from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 32 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dosie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dosie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dosie
The given name Dosie has its roots in the Old English language, originating from the word "dosi," which means "foolish" or "simple-minded." This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages in England, particularly among the lower classes and peasantry.
During the medieval period, the name Dosie was often associated with individuals who were perceived as naive or lacking in intelligence. It was sometimes used as a derogatory term to describe someone who was easily fooled or gullible. However, over time, the name shed its negative connotations and became a more neutral and endearing term.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dosie can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Dosie de Middleton" is mentioned as a landowner in the county of Derbyshire.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Dosie Longstaff was a wandering minstrel and storyteller who traveled throughout the English countryside, entertaining audiences with tales and songs. Her popularity and reputation as an engaging performer helped to further spread the name Dosie among the common folk.
During the Renaissance period, the name Dosie gained some literary recognition when it was used as a character name in the play "The Merry Wives of Windsor" by William Shakespeare. Although a minor character, Dosie was portrayed as a charming and well-meaning servant, further helping to shed the name's previous negative associations.
In the 17th century, Dosie Hathaway (1630-1695) was a notable Quaker preacher and activist from Somerset, England. She was known for her passionate sermons and her advocacy for religious tolerance and social justice, making her a significant figure in the early Quaker movement.
Another notable figure was Dosie Bunker (1789-1858), an American pioneer and frontierwoman who played a crucial role in the settlement of the Oregon Trail. Her bravery and resilience during the arduous journey earned her a place in the annals of American frontier history.
As the centuries progressed, the name Dosie became more widely accepted and embraced, particularly in rural areas and among families with strong ties to their ancestral roots. While it may not be as common today as it once was, the name Dosie continues to carry a sense of history, simplicity, and a connection to the past.
People
Dosie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dosie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dosie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dosie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dosie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Dosie a common name?
We classify Dosie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 40 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dosie most popular?
The single biggest year for Dosie was 1924, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dosie is about 67 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dosie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dosie a female name?
Yes, 70.0% of people registered as Dosie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dosie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dosie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dosie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Dosie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.