2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dockey
A surname possibly derived from the occupation of a dock worker or boat builder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Dockey. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dockey 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Dockey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dockey
The surname Dockey originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "doc" meaning a ditch or water channel, and "ey" meaning an island or dry ground. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ditch or marshy area on an island or raised area of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1196, where it appears as "Richard de la Dockeye". This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century. Variations in spelling were common in the Middle Ages, and the name was also recorded as Dockye, Dokkey, and Dokkeye in various historical documents from that era.
The Dockey name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset in the southwest of England. This region was home to many marshlands and wetlands, which may have contributed to the origins of the name. In the 14th century, a John Dockey was listed as a landowner in the village of Dokkemere, which is likely derived from the Old English words "docca" and "mere" meaning a ditch or pool.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bore the Dockey surname. One of the earliest recorded was William Dockey, a merchant from Bristol who was born around 1520. He played a role in the English wool trade and helped establish trade routes with the Netherlands and France.
Another prominent figure was Robert Dockey, a Puritan clergyman born in Somerset in 1586. He was known for his strong religious views and his opposition to the established Church of England. Dockey was eventually forced to flee to the Netherlands due to religious persecution.
In the late 17th century, John Dockey (1658-1719) was a successful architect and builder who worked on several notable projects in London, including the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral under the guidance of Sir Christopher Wren.
The 18th century saw the birth of Anne Dockey (1727-1803), a renowned author and poet from Gloucestershire. Her works explored themes of nature, love, and spirituality, and she was highly regarded in literary circles during her lifetime.
Finally, in the 19th century, Edward Dockey (1821-1892) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Somerset. He made his fortune in the coal industry and used his wealth to establish several charitable foundations and support various causes in his local community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dockey
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dockey 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 Dockey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 98
- Black or African American4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dockey
Dockey 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-14 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,328 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,531 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 20,328 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,531 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 Dockey 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 | #142,108 | #151,639 | -6.7% |
| Count | 117 | 107 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dockey bearers went from 117 to 107 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,531 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #151,639.
FAQ
Dockey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dockey?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Dockey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Dockey?
Dockey ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Dockey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Dockey.
Has Dockey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dockey went from 117 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Dockey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Dockey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dockey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Dockey (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 Dockey mean?
A surname possibly derived from the occupation of a dock worker or boat builder. 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 Dockey (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 common is the surname Dockey?
Find out how common the surname Dockey is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.