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

Dockery, 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 Dockery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dockery in America

Dockery is the 3089th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dockery surname appeared 11,644 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Dockery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dockery 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 Dockery

The surname Dockery is of English origin, deriving from the medieval occupation of a docker or docker-man, referring to those who made wooden containers called dockers or docks used for storing goods. The name is first recorded in the 13th century, with early spellings including Docker, Dockere, and Dokker.

The name is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of England, particularly in areas like Essex and Suffolk, where the trade of making and repairing wooden containers was prevalent due to the maritime industries. Records from the 14th century show instances of the surname in these regions, indicating its presence among craftsmen and tradesmen.

One of the earliest known references to the name Dockery can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from 1266, which mention a John le Dockar. This entry suggests that the name had already established itself as a hereditary surname by that time.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various parish records and tax rolls across England. Notable individuals bearing the name include William Dockery, who was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1541, and Thomas Dockery, a merchant from Bristol recorded in 1582.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dockery surname gained prominence in various parts of England. One notable figure was John Dockery (1667-1734), a prosperous landowner and magistrate from Lincolnshire. Another was Samuel Dockery (1722-1798), a prominent merchant and ship owner from Liverpool.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold, the Dockery surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 19th century, several individuals with this surname made significant contributions. One such example is Alfred Dockery (1819-1896), a renowned engineer and inventor from Manchester, who patented several innovations in textile machinery.

Other notable individuals bearing the Dockery surname include Sir John Dockery (1837-1921), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire, and Mary Dockery (1871-1938), a celebrated author and feminist activist from Glasgow.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dockery

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

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 Dockery 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 Dockery 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 Dockery was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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