2000
#13,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,099
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Dockter
An occupational surname referring to a doctor or physician.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,657 Americans carry the last name Dockter. That puts it at #12,722 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dockter 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
2.7K
1 in 129,001
Census rank
#12,722
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,317 bearers of the surname Dockter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12722nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dockter
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dockter 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 Dockter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 2,171
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 71
- Two or more races2.5% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dockter
Dockter 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
#13,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
+145 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 198 places
2020
#12,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,317
+73 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,319 | 2,099 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,517 | 2,244 | 0.76 | +145 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 198 places |
| 2020 | #12,722 | 2,317 | 0.78 | +73 bearers (+3.3%) | Up 795 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 Dockter 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 | #13,517 | #12,722 | 5.9% |
| Count | 2,244 | 2,317 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.78 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dockter bearers went from 2,244 to 2,317 (+3.3% change). The surname moved up 795 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,517 to #12,722.
FAQ
Dockter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dockter?
Name Census estimates that about 2,657 living Americans carry the surname Dockter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,001 residents.
How common is Dockter?
Dockter ranks #12,722 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,317 people with the surname Dockter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,657), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dockter.
Has Dockter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dockter went from 2,244 recorded bearers to 2,317. That is an increase of 73 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,517 to #12,722.
What does the Census say about the background of Dockter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dockter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Dockter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (2,171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dockter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Dockter (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 Dockter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a doctor or physician. 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 Dockter (0.78 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 surname Dockter?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.