2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Doedtman
A surname with Dutch origins meaning "deadman" or "gravedigger."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Doedtman. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doedtman 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Doedtman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doedtman, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doedtman
The surname DOEDTMAN has its origins in Germany, specifically in the northern regions near the coast. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is likely derived from the Low German word "dod" or "doot," meaning "dead," combined with the word "man," suggesting a connection to an occupation related to dealing with the deceased, such as a gravedigger or undertaker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DOEDTMAN can be found in the parish records of the town of Lübeck, dating back to the late 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, including Dödtman, Dödeman, and Doedeman, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name DOEDTMAN was Hans Doedtman, a merchant and ship owner from the city of Hamburg. Born in 1522, he played a significant role in the city's maritime trade and was a respected member of the local mercantile community.
During the 17th century, the DOEDTMAN name gained prominence in the region around the city of Bremen. In 1648, a record mentions Johann Doedtman, a wealthy landowner and magistrate in the nearby town of Vegesack. His descendants continued to hold influential positions in the local government and business circles for several generations.
Another notable figure with the DOEDTMAN surname was Friedrich Doedtman, a renowned clockmaker from the city of Lüneburg, born in 1712. His intricate and beautifully crafted timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
In the 19th century, the DOEDTMAN family tree expanded to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. One such individual was Karl Doedtman, a celebrated author and poet from Hamburg, born in 1823, whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
As the DOEDTMAN name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, reflecting local linguistic and cultural influences. However, its roots can be traced back to the northern German regions, where it originated as a occupational surname with a connection to the solemn task of handling the deceased.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doedtman
Among Census respondents with the surname Doedtman, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Doedtman 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 Doedtman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 119
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doedtman
Doedtman 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+22 bearers (+21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,651 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,716 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+21.6%) | Up 12,651 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,716 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 Doedtman 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 | #135,593 | #141,309 | -4.2% |
| Count | 124 | 121 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doedtman bearers went from 124 to 121 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,716 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #141,309.
FAQ
Doedtman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doedtman?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Doedtman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Doedtman?
Doedtman ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Doedtman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Doedtman.
Has Doedtman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doedtman went from 124 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Doedtman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doedtman, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Doedtman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doedtman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Doedtman (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 Doedtman mean?
A surname with Dutch origins meaning "deadman" or "gravedigger." 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 Doedtman (0.04 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 share the surname Doedtman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.