2000
#7,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Doggett
An English occupational surname referring to a person who looks after hunting dogs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,758 Americans carry the last name Doggett. That puts it at #7,693 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doggett 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 Doggett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 72,037
Census rank
#7,693
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,149 bearers of the surname Doggett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7693rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doggett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doggett
The surname Doggett has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dogga," which referred to a breed of dog. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for a dog handler or someone responsible for taking care of dogs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it is spelled "Dogget." This document mentions a person named Ailwin Dogget. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, spelled as "Doghet."
The Doggett surname is thought to have originated in the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, where it was initially concentrated. Over time, it spread to other parts of England, particularly in the southern and western regions.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where a Thomas Doggett is mentioned. The London Subsidy Rolls of 1332 also reference a John Doggett.
One notable individual with this surname was Thomas Doggett (c. 1670-1721), an Irish actor and comedian who became famous in London's theatrical circles. He is best known for establishing the Doggett's Coat and Badge race, a rowing competition that has been held annually on the River Thames since 1715.
Another prominent figure was George Doggett (1679-1722), a British playwright and actor who wrote several successful plays, including "The Country Wake" and "The Footman."
In the 19th century, John Doggett (1808-1867) was a notable English cricketer who played for Hampshire and Sussex. He was recognized for his exceptional batting skills and captained both teams during his career.
The name Doggett can also be found in early American records. One example is John Doggett (c. 1676-1752), a merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and became a prominent figure in the colony.
Additionally, Reverend Simmons H. Doggett (1789-1854) was an American Methodist minister and educator who served as the president of Randolph-Macon College in Virginia from 1836 to 1854.
These examples illustrate the long history and widespread distribution of the Doggett surname, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doggett
Among Census respondents with the surname Doggett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Doggett 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 Doggett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.6% · 3,179
- Black or African American16.1% · 667
- Two or more races4.0% · 164
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doggett
Doggett 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
#7,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,245
-27 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 591 places
2020
#7,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,149
-96 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,208 | 4,272 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,799 | 4,245 | 1.44 | -27 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 591 places |
| 2020 | #7,693 | 4,149 | 1.39 | -96 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 106 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 Doggett 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 | #7,799 | #7,693 | 1.4% |
| Count | 4,245 | 4,149 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.39 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doggett bearers went from 4,245 to 4,149 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,799 to #7,693.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Doggett
FAQ
Doggett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doggett?
Name Census estimates that about 4,758 living Americans carry the surname Doggett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,037 residents.
How common is Doggett?
Doggett ranks #7,693 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,149 people with the surname Doggett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,758), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Doggett.
Has Doggett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doggett went from 4,245 recorded bearers to 4,149. That is a decrease of 96 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,799 to #7,693.
What does the Census say about the background of Doggett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doggett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Doggett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.6% (3,179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doggett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.6%), Black (16.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Doggett (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 Doggett mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who looks after hunting dogs. 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 Doggett (1.39 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 Americans have the surname Doggett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.