Find out how popular the last name Dobie is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dobie.

Dobie, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dobie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dobie in America

Dobie is the 26576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dobie surname appeared 917 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dobie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dobie to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dobie

The surname Dobie has its origins in Scotland, where it is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dubh," meaning "dark" or "black," and may have been a descriptive nickname referring to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Douby." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Doby, Dobey, Dobbie, and the modern form, Dobie.

The surname is closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, particularly in Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. Several place names in these areas, such as Dobbysloan and Dobbingston, may have contributed to the name's development and spread.

Notable historical figures bearing the Dobie surname include Sir James Dobie (c. 1542-1590), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Dobie (1756-1828), a Scottish naval officer who played a significant role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

In the literary world, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the famous Scottish writer and creator of Sherlock Holmes, had a maternal ancestor named Dobie. Additionally, William J. Dobie (1868-1936) was an American author and educator, known for his work on the American Southwest and Mexican-American culture.

Other notable Dobies throughout history include John Dobie (1718-1806), a Scottish merchant and landowner who was involved in the tobacco trade; James Dobie (1809-1888), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician; and William Dobie (1862-1945), a Scottish-American labor leader and socialist activist.

While the surname Dobie may have evolved from a descriptive nickname, it has since become a established surname with a rich history, particularly in Scotland and among Scottish diaspora communities around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dobie

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dobie.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dobie was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dobie has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dobie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dobie, please contact us.

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