2000
#1,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.09
Uncommon Last name
Dodge
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of dough, possibly a baker or bread maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,338 Americans carry the last name Dodge. That puts it at #1,650 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dodge 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dodge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,083
Census rank
#1,650
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,224 bearers of the surname Dodge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1650th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dodge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dodge
The surname Dodge is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "docga," which means "a powerful breed of dogs." It is believed to have emerged during the 11th century in the counties of Devon and Somerset in the southwest of England.
The earliest recorded instance of the Dodge surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dodda" and "Dodde." These early spellings are thought to have been occupational surnames referring to individuals who bred or worked with these powerful dogs.
In the 13th century, the surname began to appear in various spellings, such as "Dogge," "Doge," and "Dodge," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time.
During the medieval period, the Dodge family gained prominence in the county of Devon, with several members holding positions of authority and land ownership. One notable figure was Sir John Dodge (1420-1487), who served as Sheriff of Devon and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses.
As the Dodge family expanded, they established themselves in other parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Yorkshire. In the 16th century, the surname was recorded in the parish registers of several villages, such as Dodsworth in Yorkshire and Dodgerton in Gloucestershire, indicating the potential formation of place names derived from the surname.
Notable individuals with the Dodge surname throughout history include:
1. William Dodge (1604-1685), one of the founders of the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in the early colonial era of America.
2. Phineas Dodge (1728-1796), a prominent American merchant and land speculator during the Revolutionary War era.
3. Mary Mapes Dodge (1831-1905), an American children's writer best known for her novel "Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates."
4. Grenville M. Dodge (1831-1916), a prominent American Civil War officer and later a influential railroad engineer and businessman.
5. John F. Dodge (1864-1920), co-founder of the Dodge Brothers Company, which later merged with Chrysler Corporation.
The Dodge surname continues to be prevalent in various parts of the world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reflecting the migration patterns of families bearing this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dodge
Among Census respondents with the surname Dodge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dodge 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 Dodge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 18,870
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 856
- Two or more races3.9% · 819
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 339
- Black or African American0.8% · 173
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 167
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dodge
Dodge 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
#1,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,035
+202 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 7.47
Rank movement Down 135 places
2020
#1,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,224
-811 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 7.10
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,500 | 21,833 | 8.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,635 | 22,035 | 7.47 | +202 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 135 places |
| 2020 | #1,650 | 21,224 | 7.10 | -811 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 15 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 Dodge 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 | #1,635 | #1,650 | -0.9% |
| Count | 22,035 | 21,224 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.47 | 7.10 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dodge bearers went from 22,035 to 21,224 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,635 to #1,650.
FAQ
Dodge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dodge?
Name Census estimates that about 24,338 living Americans carry the surname Dodge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,083 residents.
How common is Dodge?
Dodge ranks #1,650 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,224 people with the surname Dodge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Dodge.
Has Dodge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dodge went from 22,035 recorded bearers to 21,224. That is a decrease of 811 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,635 to #1,650.
What does the Census say about the background of Dodge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dodge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Dodge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (18,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dodge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Dodge (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 Dodge mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of dough, possibly a baker or bread maker. 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 Dodge (7.10 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 Dodge?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Dodge, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.