2000
#842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.83
Uncommon Last name
Dodson
An English occupational surname for someone who makes dods, an archaic word for a type of wooden bucket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 40,844 Americans carry the last name Dodson. That puts it at #967 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,392 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dodson 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 Dodson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
41K
1 in 8,392
Census rank
#967
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 35,618 bearers of the surname Dodson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 967th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dodson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dodson
The surname Dodson is of English origin, derived from the Medieval given name Dodde, a diminutive of the Old English name Dodd. This name is believed to have evolved from the Old English word "dud," meaning "round and small." The earliest recorded instances of the surname Dodson can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Dodson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from the year 1296, where a certain William Dodessone is mentioned. Additionally, the Dodson surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275, indicating its widespread use during that time.
The surname Dodson has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is James Dodson (1705-1757), an English mathematician and author who wrote extensively on topics related to mathematics and navigation. Another prominent bearer of the name was Michael Dodson (1732-1799), an English clergyman and mathematician who served as the Rector of Buckingham.
In the literary world, the name Dodson is remembered through the character of Mr. Dodson, a lawyer featured in Charles Dickens' novel "The Pickwick Papers," published in 1837. This fictional character's name likely drew inspiration from the surname's widespread use in England during Dickens' time.
The Dodson surname has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Dodson's Green in Buckinghamshire and Dodson's Farm in Sussex. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Dodson surname who resided or held lands in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Dodson include Robert Dodson (1704-1775), an English merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the establishment of several schools and hospitals in London, and James Dodson (1842-1918), a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Dodson Iron Works in Ohio.
Throughout its history, the surname Dodson has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, reflecting its enduring heritage and the significance of its bearers in various fields, from mathematics and literature to business and philanthropy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dodson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dodson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dodson 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 Dodson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 27,816
- Black or African American12.1% · 4,323
- Two or more races4.7% · 1,657
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,154
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 443
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 225
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dodson
Dodson 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
#927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,566
+268 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 12.74
Rank movement Down 85 places
2020
#967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,618
-1,948 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 11.92
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #842 | 37,298 | 13.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #927 | 37,566 | 12.74 | +268 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 85 places |
| 2020 | #967 | 35,618 | 11.92 | -1,948 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 40 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 Dodson 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 | #927 | #967 | -4.3% |
| Count | 37,566 | 35,618 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 12.74 | 11.92 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dodson bearers went from 37,566 to 35,618 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #927 to #967.
FAQ
Dodson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dodson?
Name Census estimates that about 40,844 living Americans carry the surname Dodson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,392 residents.
How common is Dodson?
Dodson ranks #967 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 35,618 people with the surname Dodson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (40,844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Dodson.
Has Dodson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dodson went from 37,566 recorded bearers to 35,618. That is a decrease of 1,948 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #927 to #967.
What does the Census say about the background of Dodson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dodson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Dodson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (27,816 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dodson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Black (12.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Dodson (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 Dodson mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who makes dods, an archaic word for a type of wooden bucket. 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 Dodson (11.92 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 are called Dodson?
Find out how many people are called Dodson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.