2000
#84,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Doohan
An Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Dúdhghainn meaning "descendant of Dúdhghan".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 281 Americans carry the last name Doohan. That puts it at #82,881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,219,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doohan 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 Doohan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
281
1 in 1,219,766
Census rank
#82,881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
245
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 245 bearers of the surname Doohan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 82881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doohan, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doohan
The surname Doohan has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged as a variant of the Gaelic O'Dubhachain sept. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "dubhach," meaning "sorrowful" or "melancholy." It is believed to have originated in County Sligo, where the family was located as early as the 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Doohan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a 17th-century chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a "Dubhachan O'Dubhachain" who was a prominent poet and scholar in the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the form "O'Doohan" in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were administrative records of the English monarchy's dealings in Ireland. This spelling variation suggests that the name was subject to anglicization during this period.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Doohan was Patrick Doohan, born in County Sligo in 1580. He was a landowner and prominent figure in the local community.
Another notable individual with the surname Doohan was James Doohan (1920-2005), a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the original Star Trek television series and subsequent films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Irish immigrant parents.
In the 17th century, the name Doohan was recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record used in Ireland at the time. This document lists several individuals with the surname, indicating the family's presence in various parts of the country.
Another historical figure with the surname Doohan was Maureen Doohan (1896-1987), an Irish author and playwright. She was born in County Sligo and was a prominent figure in the Irish literary scene during the early 20th century.
The Doohan family also had a presence in the United States, with several individuals bearing the surname recorded in early census records. One notable American with the name was John Doohan (1815-1892), a businessman and philanthropist from New York City.
Throughout its history, the surname Doohan has maintained its strong ties to its Irish origins, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to County Sligo and the surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doohan
Among Census respondents with the surname Doohan, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Doohan 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 Doohan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 240
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 1
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doohan
Doohan 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
#82,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 230
+23 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 2,266 places
2020
#82,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
+15 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 837 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #84,310 | 207 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,044 | 230 | 0.08 | +23 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,266 places |
| 2020 | #82,881 | 245 | 0.08 | +15 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 837 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 Doohan 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 | #82,044 | #82,881 | -1.0% |
| Count | 230 | 245 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doohan bearers went from 230 to 245 (+6.5% change). The surname moved down 837 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,044 to #82,881.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Doohan
FAQ
Doohan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doohan?
Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the surname Doohan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,219,766 residents.
How common is Doohan?
Doohan ranks #82,881 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 245 people with the surname Doohan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Doohan.
Has Doohan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doohan went from 230 recorded bearers to 245. That is an increase of 15 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,044 to #82,881.
What does the Census say about the background of Doohan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doohan, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Doohan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (240 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doohan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%), Black (0.4%). 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 Doohan (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 Doohan mean?
An Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Dúdhghainn meaning "descendant of Dúdhghan". 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 Doohan (0.08 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 Doohan?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Doohan, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.