2000
#25,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Dollison
Likely a variant of "delision," meaning a fanciful structure or illusion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,021 Americans carry the last name Dollison. That puts it at #28,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 335,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dollison 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.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 335,705
Census rank
#28,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
890
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 890 bearers of the surname Dollison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dollison, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dollison
The surname Dollison originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from a locational name, referring to a person who hailed from a specific place called Dawlish or Dollish. These place names come from the Old English words "dole" meaning meadow, and "hisc" meaning brushwood or underwood.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Devonshire from 1332, where a certain William de Dollysh is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use and established in the southwestern county of Devon by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Dollysh, Dolishe, and Dollyshe, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that time. One notable bearer of the name was Robert Dollyshe, born around 1530 in Exeter, Devon, who was a merchant and alderman in the city.
By the 17th century, the spelling had evolved closer to the modern form of Dollison. In the 1642 Protestation Returns for Devon, the name appears as Dollison and Dollizion. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of the county by that point.
One of the most prominent figures with the surname Dollison was Sir John Dollison (1640-1718), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle in Devon. He was knighted by King William III in 1698 and served as Sheriff of Devon in 1707.
Another notable bearer of the name was Edward Dollison (1677-1743), a clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Lawhitton in Cornwall. He published several theological works, including "A Discourse on the Resurrection" in 1724.
In the 18th century, the name continued to be found primarily in the southwest of England. Thomas Dollison (1725-1801) was a prominent merchant and shipowner based in Plymouth, Devon, who played a role in the city's maritime trade.
As the centuries progressed, the name Dollison spread beyond its regional origins, with bearers of the surname found in various parts of England and, later, other English-speaking countries through migration and colonial expansion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dollison
Among Census respondents with the surname Dollison, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dollison 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 Dollison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.8% · 532
- Black or African American28.3% · 252
- Two or more races6.2% · 55
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dollison
Dollison 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
#28,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 845
-55 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 2,569 places
2020
#28,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 890
+45 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 208 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,724 | 900 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,293 | 845 | 0.29 | -55 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 2,569 places |
| 2020 | #28,501 | 890 | 0.30 | +45 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 208 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 Dollison 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 | #28,293 | #28,501 | -0.7% |
| Count | 845 | 890 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.30 | 2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dollison bearers went from 845 to 890 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 208 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,293 to #28,501.
FAQ
Dollison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dollison?
Name Census estimates that about 1,021 living Americans carry the surname Dollison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 335,705 residents.
How common is Dollison?
Dollison ranks #28,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 890 people with the surname Dollison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,021), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dollison.
Has Dollison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dollison went from 845 recorded bearers to 890. That is an increase of 45 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,293 to #28,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Dollison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dollison, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Dollison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (532 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dollison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.8%), Black (28.3%), Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Dollison (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 Dollison mean?
Likely a variant of "delision," meaning a fanciful structure or illusion. 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 Dollison (0.30 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 have the surname Dollison?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.