2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dockman
An occupational surname referring to one who worked at a dock or harbor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Dockman. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dockman 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Dockman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dockman
The surname DOCKMAN is of English origin, derived from the occupation of a dock worker or someone who lived near a dock. It is believed to have emerged in the 14th century, during the height of maritime trade in England.
The name is likely derived from the Old English word "doc," which means a basin or enclosure for ships, combined with the suffix "man," indicating a person associated with that profession or location. It may have initially referred to individuals who worked in the loading and unloading of ships at docks or those who resided near such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DOCKMAN can be found in the Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester in 1349, which mentions a John Dockman. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Middle Ages in England.
Another early reference comes from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, which lists a Thomas Dokeman. This variation in spelling, with the inclusion of an extra vowel, was common during that era due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
In the 16th century, the surname DOCKMAN appears in various records, including the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Sandwich, Kent, where a marriage between William Dockman and Agnes Browne is recorded in 1578.
During the 17th century, the name DOCKMAN can be found in several notable sources. For instance, the Hearth Tax Rolls of Somersetshire in 1665 list a Robert Dockman as a taxpayer in the parish of Huntspill.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname DOCKMAN have achieved prominence. One notable figure was John Dockman (1615-1672), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Colchester in the 1660s.
Another prominent DOCKMAN was William Dockman (1688-1756), a British naval officer who rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and played a role in several significant naval battles during the War of the Austrian Succession.
In the 19th century, a well-known bearer of the surname was Charles Dockman (1821-1896), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Aquarium and the Royal Opera Arcade.
Additionally, the name DOCKMAN has been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Dockman's Lane in the village of Chaceley, Gloucestershire, which was named after a local family with the surname.
While the name DOCKMAN may have originated from a specific occupation or location, it has since become a widely recognized surname across various regions, with numerous individuals bearing this historical and occupational moniker.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dockman
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dockman 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 Dockman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 102
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dockman
Dockman 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,437 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,058 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,437 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,058 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 Dockman 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 | #151,532 | #153,590 | -1.4% |
| Count | 108 | 104 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dockman bearers went from 108 to 104 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,058 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #153,590.
FAQ
Dockman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dockman?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Dockman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Dockman?
Dockman ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Dockman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dockman.
Has Dockman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dockman went from 108 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Dockman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Dockman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dockman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Dockman (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 Dockman mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who worked at a dock or harbor. 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 Dockman (0.03 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 Dockman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Dockman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.