2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dobitz
A Germanized form of the Slavic surname denoting someone from the village of Dobitz.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Dobitz. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dobitz 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Dobitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dobitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dobitz
The surname Dobitz has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the early 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, located in eastern Germany. The name is likely derived from the Old German word "doben," meaning "to thrive" or "to flourish," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly successful or prosperous.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname Dobitz can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Halle, where a certain Hans Dobitz was mentioned in a record dated 1428. These church records were instrumental in documenting the lives of individuals and families in the region during the Middle Ages and early modern period.
In the late 16th century, the Dobitz family was recorded as landowners in the village of Delitzsch, near Leipzig. This suggests that the family had achieved a certain level of status and influence in the area during that time.
The surname Dobitz can also be found in various historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as tax records, land deeds, and court proceedings. One notable example is the mention of a Johann Dobitz in the "Leipziger Ratsbücher" (Leipzig Council Books) from 1687, which recorded decisions and proceedings of the city council.
Throughout history, there have been several individuals with the surname Dobitz who have achieved notable accomplishments or recognition. For instance, Johann Gottfried Dobitz (1701-1762) was a German theologian and author who published several works on religious and philosophical topics. Another notable figure was Carl Wilhelm Dobitz (1824-1891), a German composer and music teacher who wrote numerous compositions for piano and chamber ensembles.
Other individuals with the surname Dobitz include Johann Friedrich Dobitz (1755-1832), a German architect and urban planner who designed several buildings and urban developments in the city of Dresden, and Hermann Dobitz (1858-1920), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (German parliament) in the early 20th century.
While the surname Dobitz may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, its history can be traced back several centuries and is closely tied to the regions of eastern Germany, where it originated and was most prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dobitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Dobitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dobitz 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 Dobitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dobitz
Dobitz appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 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 Dobitz 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 | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dobitz bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Dobitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dobitz?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Dobitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Dobitz?
Dobitz ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Dobitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dobitz.
Has Dobitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dobitz went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Dobitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dobitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Dobitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dobitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Dobitz (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 Dobitz mean?
A Germanized form of the Slavic surname denoting someone from the village of Dobitz. 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 Dobitz (0.04 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 share the surname Dobitz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.