2000
#3,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.54
Uncommon Last name
Doll
A nickname-derived surname referring to a cute, pretty, or well-dressed person, or a toymaker who made dolls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,112 Americans carry the last name Doll. That puts it at #3,587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,845 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doll 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 Doll with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,845
Census rank
#3,587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,690 bearers of the surname Doll in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doll, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doll
The surname DOLL is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It likely originated from the German word "Dol" or "Toll," meaning "mad" or "foolish." This surname may have been given as a nickname to someone who exhibited eccentric or peculiar behavior.
In its early form, the surname DOLL was often spelled as "Dolle" or "Doell." One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the town records of Alsfeld, Germany, where a certain Henne Dolle was mentioned in 1380. The name also appeared in the Bürgermatrikel (citizen register) of Frankfurt am Main in the 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name DOLL gained popularity in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Baden-Württemberg. It was also found in parts of Switzerland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Döll" or "Döllinger."
One notable bearer of the DOLL surname was Johann Christoph Doll (1808-1888), a German-American architect and civil engineer who was instrumental in the construction of several important buildings and structures in the United States, including the Illinois and Michigan Canal.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Doll (1857-1938), a German sculptor and artist known for his work in the Art Nouveau style. He created numerous public monuments and sculptures that adorned buildings and parks throughout Germany.
In the realm of literature, the name DOLL was borne by Gustav Doll (1892-1970), a German writer and playwright who gained recognition for his novels and plays depicting life in rural Germany.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the DOLL surname in America dates back to the late 17th century, when Johann Doll and his family emigrated from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania.
Throughout the centuries, the DOLL surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have left their mark in various fields, including science, politics, and the arts. While the name may have originated from a seemingly unflattering nickname, it has since evolved to represent a rich cultural heritage and a diverse array of accomplishments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doll
Among Census respondents with the surname Doll, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Doll 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 Doll surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 8,813
- Two or more races3.1% · 298
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 295
- Black or African American1.9% · 184
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doll
Doll 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
#3,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,749
+196 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Down 217 places
2020
#3,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,690
-59 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 3.24
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,429 | 9,553 | 3.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,646 | 9,749 | 3.30 | +196 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 217 places |
| 2020 | #3,587 | 9,690 | 3.24 | -59 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 59 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 Doll 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 | #3,646 | #3,587 | 1.6% |
| Count | 9,749 | 9,690 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.30 | 3.24 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doll bearers went from 9,749 to 9,690 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,646 to #3,587.
FAQ
Doll surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doll?
Name Census estimates that about 11,112 living Americans carry the surname Doll. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,845 residents.
How common is Doll?
Doll ranks #3,587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,690 people with the surname Doll. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Doll.
Has Doll become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doll went from 9,749 recorded bearers to 9,690. That is a decrease of 59 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,646 to #3,587.
What does the Census say about the background of Doll?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doll, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Doll in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (8,813 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doll appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Doll (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 Doll mean?
A nickname-derived surname referring to a cute, pretty, or well-dressed person, or a toymaker who made dolls. 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 Doll (3.24 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 people are called Doll?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Doll on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.