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

Dold, 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 Dold surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dold in America

Dold is the 23881st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dold surname appeared 1,057 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 Dold.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dold 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 Dold

The surname Dold originated in the German region of Bavaria and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "dol" or "dull", meaning "foolish" or "dull-witted". This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname for someone perceived as lacking in intelligence.

In ancient records, the name appears with various spellings, such as Dold, Dolde, Doldh, and Dolt. One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Bavarian town records of Regensburg, where a certain Hainrich Dold was listed as a resident in 1285.

The Dold name is also mentioned in the Weingarten Monastery's chronicles, which date back to the 14th century. Here, a monk named Johannes Dold is recorded as having lived and served in the monastery during the late 1300s.

As the name spread across Germany and Europe, it became associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Peter Dold, a Bavarian architect born in 1607, who is credited with designing several churches and public buildings in the region.

Another prominent figure bearing the Dold surname was Johann Baptist Dold, a German composer and organist who lived from 1777 to 1843. He is remembered for his contributions to sacred music and for serving as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the Regensburg Cathedral.

In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the works of Johann Georg Dold, a German historian and writer born in 1808. He authored several books on the history and culture of Bavaria, including a comprehensive work on the region's folklore and traditions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dold name outside of Germany can be found in the United States, where a man named Johann Dold arrived in Philadelphia in 1751, having migrated from the Palatinate region of Germany.

Throughout history, the Dold surname has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from religious figures and architects to musicians and scholars. While its origins may have been humble, the name has left a lasting mark on the cultural and historical landscapes of Germany and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dold

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

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 Dold 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 Dold 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 Dold was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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