2000
#8,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,528
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Doak
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place of the same name, likely meaning "oak grove" or "oak wood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,770 Americans carry the last name Doak. That puts it at #9,464 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doak 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 Doak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,916
Census rank
#9,464
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,288 bearers of the surname Doak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9464th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doak
The surname Doak has its origins in the Gaelic language of Ireland and Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the word 'dubhachaidh', which means 'a dark place' or 'a black dwelling'. This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who lived in a remote or secluded area, or perhaps in a place that was surrounded by dense forests or hills.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Doak can be traced back to the 16th century in Ulster, Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Doak, who was born in County Antrim around 1580. This was a turbulent period in Irish history, with frequent conflicts between the native Irish and English settlers.
In the 17th century, the name Doak began to spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly in the counties of Donegal and Tyrone. During this time, the name also appeared in various historical records, such as the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which were tax records that listed householders and their dwellings.
As the centuries passed, the Doak family continued to establish roots in different parts of Ireland and Scotland. One notable figure was James Doak, a Scottish minister who lived in the late 17th century and was known for his fiery sermons and unwavering faith.
In the 18th century, the name Doak began to appear in North America, as many Irish and Scottish families sought new opportunities and freedoms in the colonies. One of the earliest recorded Doaks in America was John Doak, who was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1710 and later settled in Pennsylvania.
Another significant figure in the history of the Doak surname was Samuel Doak, an Irish-American Presbyterian minister and educator. Born in Pennsylvania in 1749, he founded several schools and colleges in the American frontier, including Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in Virginia.
As the Doak family continued to grow and spread throughout the world, they left their mark in various fields, from literature and politics to science and the arts. One notable example is Frank Doak, an English novelist and playwright who lived in the late 19th century and was known for his works set in the American West.
Throughout its long and diverse history, the surname Doak has been a reflection of the resilience, determination, and adaptability of those who have carried it. From its humble beginnings in the remote corners of Ireland and Scotland to its present-day global reach, the name Doak has woven itself into the rich tapestry of human experience.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doak
Among Census respondents with the surname Doak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Doak 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 Doak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 2,962
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 125
- Two or more races3.1% · 101
- Black or African American1.2% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doak
Doak 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
#9,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,498
-30 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 721 places
2020
#9,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,288
-210 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,586 | 3,528 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,307 | 3,498 | 1.19 | -30 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 721 places |
| 2020 | #9,464 | 3,288 | 1.10 | -210 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 157 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 Doak 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 | #9,307 | #9,464 | -1.7% |
| Count | 3,498 | 3,288 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.10 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doak bearers went from 3,498 to 3,288 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,307 to #9,464.
FAQ
Doak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doak?
Name Census estimates that about 3,770 living Americans carry the surname Doak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,916 residents.
How common is Doak?
Doak ranks #9,464 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,288 people with the surname Doak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,770), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Doak.
Has Doak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doak went from 3,498 recorded bearers to 3,288. That is a decrease of 210 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,307 to #9,464.
What does the Census say about the background of Doak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Doak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,962 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Doak (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 Doak mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place of the same name, likely meaning "oak grove" or "oak wood." 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 Doak (1.10 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 last name Doak?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Doak is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.