2000
#8,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,351
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Dole
A surname derived from the Old English word "dole," referring to a portion of land or valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,462 Americans carry the last name Dole. That puts it at #10,167 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dole 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 Dole with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,005
Census rank
#10,167
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,019 bearers of the surname Dole in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10167th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dole, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dole
The surname DOLE has its origins in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dole," which referred to a portion or share of something, particularly a meadow or land allotment. The name may also be linked to the Old French word "dol," meaning a hilltop or mound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DOLE appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "de la Dole," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a specific meadow or hillock. The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions several place names with similar spellings, such as Dole in Wiltshire and Doles in Nottinghamshire, which could have influenced the development of the surname.
In the 14th century, the name DOLE is found in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Dole is listed in Yorkshire. During this period, the surname may have been associated with certain occupations or roles related to the distribution or management of land allotments.
One notable figure with the surname DOLE was John Dole (c. 1524-1594), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Ludlow during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was Richard Dole (1670-1747), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Boston, Massachusetts, who played a significant role in the early colonial history of New England.
In the 19th century, Robert Dole (1807-1890), an English architect and surveyor, gained recognition for his work on several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary in Nottingham. Additionally, Sanford B. Dole (1844-1926), an American politician and jurist, served as the President of the Republic of Hawaii from 1894 to 1900.
More recently, Robert J. Dole (1923-2022), an American politician and statesman, had a distinguished career as a U.S. Senator from Kansas and was the Republican Party's nominee for President in 1996. His wife, Elizabeth Dole (born 1936), also served as a U.S. Senator and was the first woman to represent North Carolina in that role.
Throughout its history, the surname DOLE has been associated with various locations, occupations, and notable individuals across different parts of the world, reflecting its enduring legacy and diverse origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dole
Among Census respondents with the surname Dole, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dole 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 Dole surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 2,495
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 158
- Two or more races3.9% · 118
- Black or African American2.3% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dole
Dole 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
#9,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,271
-80 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 911 places
2020
#10,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,019
-252 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,973 | 3,351 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,884 | 3,271 | 1.11 | -80 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 911 places |
| 2020 | #10,167 | 3,019 | 1.01 | -252 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 283 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 Dole 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 | #9,884 | #10,167 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,271 | 3,019 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.01 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dole bearers went from 3,271 to 3,019 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,884 to #10,167.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dole
FAQ
Dole surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dole?
Name Census estimates that about 3,462 living Americans carry the surname Dole. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,005 residents.
How common is Dole?
Dole ranks #10,167 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,019 people with the surname Dole. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Dole.
Has Dole become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dole went from 3,271 recorded bearers to 3,019. That is a decrease of 252 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,884 to #10,167.
What does the Census say about the background of Dole?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dole, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Dole in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (2,495 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dole appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%), Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Dole (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 Dole mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "dole," referring to a portion of land or valley. 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 Dole (1.01 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 Dole?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.