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

Dockter, 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 Dockter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dockter in America

Dockter is the 13517th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dockter surname appeared 2,244 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dockter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dockter 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 Dockter

The surname Dockter has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Doktor," which means "doctor" or "teacher." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in the medical or educational fields.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dockter can be found in the German city of Münster, where a man named Hans Dockter lived in the late 1500s. Records show that he was a respected physician in the city, further supporting the theory of the name's occupational origins.

In the 17th century, the name Dockter began to appear in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, the spelling variations included "Docter," "Dochter," and "Dockther." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and spelling conventions.

In the 18th century, a notable individual with the surname Dockter was Johann Dockter, a prominent theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg. He was born in 1712 and made significant contributions to the field of religious studies during his lifetime.

As the name spread throughout Europe, it eventually made its way to other countries, including the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was in the late 18th century, when a German immigrant named Friedrich Dockter settled in Pennsylvania.

Another notable figure with the surname Dockter was Hans Dockter, a German artist born in 1871 who was known for his landscape paintings. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe and are still highly regarded in the art world.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals with the surname Dockter made significant contributions in various fields. For example, Wilhelm Dockter (1832-1905) was a respected German engineer who played a crucial role in the development of early railroad systems.

It is important to note that while the surname Dockter originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the German language and the occupational significance associated with the word "Doktor."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dockter

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!