2000
#17,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,473
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Dogan
A Turkish surname derived from the Turkic word for "hawk" or "falcon".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,182 Americans carry the last name Dogan. That puts it at #14,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dogan 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 Dogan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 157,083
Census rank
#14,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,903 bearers of the surname Dogan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (41.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dogan
The surname Dogan has its origins in Turkey and is derived from the Turkish word "doğan," which means "falcon" or "hawk." This name likely originated from an occupational or descriptive nickname given to someone who kept or trained falcons for hunting purposes, or someone who possessed hawk-like characteristics such as sharp vision or agility.
The earliest recorded instances of the Dogan surname can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century. During this time, falconry was a popular pastime among the Ottoman nobility, and those involved in this pursuit may have been bestowed the name Dogan as a result.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Dogan surname was Doğan Bey, a prominent Ottoman statesman and military commander who lived in the late 14th century. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and was renowned for his military prowess.
Another notable figure was Mehmet Dogan, a 16th-century Ottoman poet and scholar who gained recognition for his contributions to Turkish literature and philosophy. His works often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the 18th century, a town named Doğanhisar, meaning "Falcon Castle," was established in present-day Turkey. This place name likely derived from the Dogan surname, suggesting a connection between the name and falconry or a falcon-related occupation.
During the 19th century, the Dogan surname spread beyond Turkey's borders as Ottoman subjects migrated to other regions. One such individual was Ibrahim Dogan, a renowned 19th-century Ottoman architect who designed several notable buildings, including mosques and palaces, in Istanbul and other Ottoman cities.
As the Ottoman Empire waned in the early 20th century, the Dogan surname became more widely dispersed across the world. Mustafa Kemal Dogan, a Turkish diplomat and politician, played a significant role in the establishment of the modern Republic of Turkey and served as a ambassador to several countries in the 1920s and 1930s.
While the surname Dogan has its roots in Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to carry the legacy of its falcon-related origins and serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dogan
Among Census respondents with the surname Dogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (41.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dogan 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 Dogan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.5% · 1,000
- Black or African American41.1% · 783
- Two or more races3.9% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dogan
Dogan 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
#16,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,713
+240 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 881 places
2020
#14,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,903
+190 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 1,786 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,588 | 1,473 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,707 | 1,713 | 0.58 | +240 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 881 places |
| 2020 | #14,921 | 1,903 | 0.64 | +190 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 1,786 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 Dogan 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 | #16,707 | #14,921 | 10.7% |
| Count | 1,713 | 1,903 | 11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.64 | 9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dogan bearers went from 1,713 to 1,903 (+11.1% change). The surname moved up 1,786 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,707 to #14,921.
FAQ
Dogan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dogan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,182 living Americans carry the surname Dogan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,083 residents.
How common is Dogan?
Dogan ranks #14,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,903 people with the surname Dogan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Dogan.
Has Dogan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dogan went from 1,713 recorded bearers to 1,903. That is an increase of 190 (+11.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,707 to #14,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Dogan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (41.1%) 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 Dogan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.5% (1,000 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dogan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.5%), Black (41.1%), 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 Dogan (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 Dogan mean?
A Turkish surname derived from the Turkic word for "hawk" or "falcon". 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 Dogan (0.64 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 Dogan?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Dogan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.