2000
#2,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,603
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.30
Common Last name
Doe
A surname derived from the Old English word "da," meaning "deer," likely referring to a deer hunter or deer herder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 301,330 Americans carry the last name Doe. That puts it at #78 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 87.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,137 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doe 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 Doe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
301K
1 in 1,137
Census rank
#78
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
87.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
263K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 262,774 bearers of the surname Doe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 87.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doe, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.3%) and Hispanic (18.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doe
The surname Doe is an English name with origins dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "do", which referred to a female deer or doe. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone considered to have doe-like qualities, such as gentleness or grace.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears as "Ralf le Do". The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also mention a "Walter le Doo". These early spellings highlight the evolving nature of the name over time.
The surname Doe can be traced to various regions across England, particularly in counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. It is believed that the name may have originated independently in multiple areas, as nicknames were commonly adopted as surnames during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Doe was John Doe, a 14th-century landowner in Somerset. His name appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, indicating his status as a taxpayer at the time.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Doe (c. 1530-1592), a prominent English lawyer and judge. He served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Thomas Doe (1573-1617), an English Puritan clergyman and author. He was known for his religious writings, including "The Doctrine of the Church of England" and "The Policie of the Turkish Empire".
The name Doe has been associated with various locations across England, including Doe Hill in Somerset and Doe Lea in Derbyshire. These place names may have influenced the adoption of the surname or vice versa.
In the 17th century, the name Doe appeared in the records of early American colonists. One such individual was John Doe, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later settled in Maryland.
Throughout history, the surname Doe has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, and politicians. However, the name's origins can be traced back to its humble beginnings as a nickname referring to the gentle qualities of a doe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doe
Among Census respondents with the surname Doe, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.3%) and Hispanic (18.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Doe 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 Doe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.7% · 138,516
- Black or African American21.3% · 55,923
- Hispanic or Latino18.4% · 48,417
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 13,313
- Two or more races1.8% · 4,779
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,826
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doe
Doe 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
#4,972
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,066
-4,537 bearers (-39.1%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Down 2,138 places
2020
#78
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262,774
+255,708 bearers (+3618.9%)
Per 100,000 87.91
Rank movement Up 4,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,834 | 11,603 | 4.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,972 | 7,066 | 2.40 | -4,537 bearers (-39.1%) | Down 2,138 places |
| 2020 | #78 | 262,774 | 87.91 | +255,708 bearers (+3618.9%) | Up 4,894 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 Doe 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 | #4,972 | #78 | 98.4% |
| Count | 7,066 | 262,774 | 3618.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.40 | 87.91 | 3563.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doe bearers went from 7,066 to 262,774 (+3618.9% change). The surname moved up 4,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,972 to #78.
FAQ
Doe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doe?
Name Census estimates that about 301,330 living Americans carry the surname Doe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,137 residents.
How common is Doe?
Doe ranks #78 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 87.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 88 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 262,774 people with the surname Doe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (301,330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 87.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 87.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 88 of them to have the surname Doe.
Has Doe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doe went from 7,066 recorded bearers to 262,774. That is an increase of 255,708 (+3618.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,972 to #78.
What does the Census say about the background of Doe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doe, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.3%) and Hispanic (18.4%). 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 Doe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (138,516 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.7%), Black (21.3%), Hispanic (18.4%). 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 Doe (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 Doe mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "da," meaning "deer," likely referring to a deer hunter or deer herder. 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 Doe (87.91 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 Doe?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.