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

Dolores, 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 Dolores surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dolores in America

Dolores is the 17283rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dolores surname appeared 1,638 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dolores.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dolores 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 Dolores

The surname Dolores has its origins in Spain and dates back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish word "dolores," which means "sorrows" or "pains," and is often associated with the Virgin Mary's grief or the sufferings of Christ.

Dolores was initially used as a locational surname, referring to places or regions where the name was prevalent. One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the "Becerro de Behetrías" of 1352, a medieval Spanish census document, which mentions individuals with the surname Dolores residing in the region of Castile.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname gained popularity in various parts of Spain, particularly in Andalusia and the Basque Country. It was also found in historical records from the Kingdom of Aragon, such as the "Libro de Armería" (Book of Heraldry) from the late 15th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Dolores surname was Pedro Dolores, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 14th century. He was renowned for his service in the War of the Two Pedros between Castile and Aragon.

In the 16th century, Juan Dolores was a prominent Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico. He played a crucial role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in various accounts of the time.

During the 17th century, the Dolores surname was associated with several notable figures in the arts and literature. María Dolores de Guevara y Quintana, born in 1635, was a celebrated Spanish poet and playwright who wrote numerous works that explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.

In the 18th century, Emilio Dolores was a renowned Spanish architect who designed several notable buildings in Madrid, including the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. His influential works helped shape the architectural style of the late Baroque and early Neoclassical periods in Spain.

In the 19th century, the Dolores surname gained international recognition with the birth of the Mexican artist and feminist activist, Dolores Jiménez y Muro (1848-1925). She was a pioneering figure in the Mexican women's rights movement and co-founded the influential feminist magazine "Violetas de Anáhuac."

Throughout its history, the surname Dolores has been associated with various regions and cultures, reflecting the diverse heritage and influence of the Spanish language and culture worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dolores

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

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

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

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