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

Doody, 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 Doody surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Doody in America

Doody is the 11054th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Doody surname appeared 2,876 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 Doody.

We can also compare 2010 data for Doody 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 Doody

The surname DOODY is of Irish origin, hailing from the ancient region of Munster. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word 'dubh,' meaning 'dark' or 'black,' likely referring to the original bearer's physical appearance or complexion. The earliest recorded spelling of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in County Cork.

One of the earliest notable references to the DOODY surname can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle dating back to the 13th century. The annals mention a certain 'Dubhdara Ua Dubadhath,' which translates to 'Doody of the Black Teeth,' suggesting that the name was associated with physical characteristics at the time.

The DOODY name is also believed to have ties to various place names in Ireland, such as Doodagan in County Sligo and Doodara in County Cork. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the DOODY name was Sir James Doody (c. 1530 - 1607), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought in the Nine Years' War against the English Crown. Another notable DOODY from this era was Reverend Samuel Doody (1556 - 1629), an Anglican clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Killaloe.

During the 17th century, the DOODY surname gained further recognition with the life of Mary Doody (1621 - 1688), a renowned herbalist and botanist from County Cork. Her contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties earned her a place in historical records.

In the 18th century, the name DOODY was carried by John Doody (1739 - 1821), an Irish-born architect and civil engineer who played a significant role in the development of New York City's infrastructure during the early years of the United States.

As the centuries passed, the DOODY surname continued to spread across Ireland and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, including literature, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Doody

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

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

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

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