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

Dolphin, 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 Dolphin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dolphin in America

Dolphin is the 16125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dolphin surname appeared 1,795 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 Dolphin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dolphin 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 Dolphin

The surname DOLPHIN is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place where dolphins were once found or where a particular individual may have lived near a bay or inlet frequented by dolphins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, which mention a William Dolphin. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from counties along the English coast, such as Cornwall and Devon, where it may have originated due to the presence of dolphins in the coastal waters.

The name DOLPHIN is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard Dolphyn. This variation in spelling was common in medieval times and highlights the localized nature of surnames during that period.

A notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Dolphin (c. 1533-1592), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in 1572. He played a role in the establishment of England's early trading relationships with Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

Another prominent individual was George Dolphin (1609-1682), a wealthy English merchant and landowner in Jamaica. He was part of the early English colonial presence in the Caribbean and owned several plantations on the island.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the East India Company, with William Dolphin (1710-1788) serving as a captain and commander of ships trading in the Indian Ocean.

During the 19th century, the name DOLPHIN is found in various parts of England, as well as in the United States, where it was likely carried by English immigrants. One notable American was John Dolphin (1778-1856), a prominent figure in the early history of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a member of the state legislature.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Dolphin (1831-1912), an English civil engineer and architect who worked on several notable projects, including the construction of the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dolphin

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

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

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

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