2000
#18,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,376
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Dolson
English habitational surname from any of several locations in England related to 'hill'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,525 Americans carry the last name Dolson. That puts it at #20,230 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 224,757 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dolson 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 Dolson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 224,757
Census rank
#20,230
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,330 bearers of the surname Dolson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20230th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dolson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dolson
The surname Dolson has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dol" meaning "valley" and "son" denoting "son of." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived in or were associated with a particular valley.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Dolson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Dol-sone," indicating its early existence and geographic ties.
In the 13th century, records show various spellings of the name, including "Dolsoun," "Dolsoune," and "Dolson," reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
One notable figure bearing the Dolson surname was John Dolson, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the village of Dolston, Cambridgeshire, in the late 14th century. Historical documents reveal that he played a significant role in the local community and was a respected figure in his time.
During the 16th century, the Dolson family expanded their presence across England, with branches settling in various counties. One prominent member was William Dolson (1542-1619), a wealthy landowner and magistrate in the county of Norfolk. His descendants continued to hold influential positions in the region for several generations.
In the 17th century, the Dolson name gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas Dolson (1622-1697), a scholar and clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. His writings and sermons were widely circulated and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the time.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Dolson (1678-1748), a pioneering businesswoman who established a successful textile trade in the city of London. Her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen paved the way for future generations of women in commerce.
As the centuries progressed, the Dolson surname continued to be associated with various professions and areas of influence, including academia, politics, and the arts. One such individual was Samuel Dolson (1832-1911), a renowned painter and illustrator whose works captured the landscapes and rural life of Victorian England.
Throughout its history, the surname Dolson has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, with concentrations found in counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. While the name has also spread to other parts of the world through migration, its roots remain firmly grounded in the English countryside and the medieval era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dolson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dolson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dolson 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 Dolson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 1,041
- Black or African American11.3% · 150
- Two or more races4.5% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dolson
Dolson 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
#19,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,428
+52 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 556 places
2020
#20,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,330
-98 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 1,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,506 | 1,376 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,062 | 1,428 | 0.48 | +52 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 556 places |
| 2020 | #20,230 | 1,330 | 0.44 | -98 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 1,168 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 Dolson 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 | #19,062 | #20,230 | -6.1% |
| Count | 1,428 | 1,330 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.44 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dolson bearers went from 1,428 to 1,330 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 1,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,062 to #20,230.
FAQ
Dolson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dolson?
Name Census estimates that about 1,525 living Americans carry the surname Dolson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 224,757 residents.
How common is Dolson?
Dolson ranks #20,230 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,330 people with the surname Dolson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Dolson.
Has Dolson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dolson went from 1,428 recorded bearers to 1,330. That is a decrease of 98 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,062 to #20,230.
What does the Census say about the background of Dolson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dolson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Dolson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (1,041 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dolson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (11.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Dolson (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 Dolson mean?
English habitational surname from any of several locations in England related to 'hill'. 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 Dolson (0.44 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 Dolson?
See how many Americans have the surname Dolson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.