Find out how popular the last name Dolby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dolby.

Dolby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dolby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dolby in America

Dolby is the 19321st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dolby surname appeared 1,401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dolby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dolby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dolby

The surname Dolby originates from England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dol" meaning "valley" and "byr" meaning "dwelling," suggesting that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a settlement in a valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1274, where a person named William de Dolbyry is mentioned. This spelling variation indicates that the name was likely associated with a specific location.

The Dolby surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a Richard de Dolby. This record provides further evidence of the name's early existence and its potential link to a place name.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Northamptonshire, where a John Dolby was listed in 1582. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1628 mention a Thomas Dolby, suggesting the name's spread across different regions of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Dolby include:

1. Thomas Dolby (born 1958), a British musician, songwriter, and producer, known for his hit songs "She Blinded Me with Science" and "Hyperactive!"

2. Ray Dolby (1933-2013), an American engineer and inventor, best known for developing the groundbreaking noise reduction system, Dolby Noise Reduction.

3. Elizabeth Dolby (1598-1686), an English Quaker who was imprisoned several times for her religious beliefs and became a prominent figure in the early Quaker movement.

4. William Dolby (1856-1934), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

5. John Dolby (1684-1756), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who represented Oxford in the House of Commons.

While the Dolby surname has English origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references suggest that the name's roots can be traced back to various locations in England during the medieval and early modern periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dolby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dolby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dolby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dolby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dolby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dolby, please contact us.

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