2000
#2,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,509
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.12
Uncommon Last name
Doran
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Deoradháin" meaning "descendant of the exile or wanderer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,132 Americans carry the last name Doran. That puts it at #2,241 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doran 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 Doran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,903
Census rank
#2,241
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,812 bearers of the surname Doran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2241st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doran, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doran
The surname Doran is of Irish origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages in Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic surname O'Dorchaidhe, which means "descendant of Dorchaidhe," a personal name derived from the word "dorcha," meaning "dark" or "swarthy."
This surname is particularly associated with County Cork, where it is believed to have originated. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Annals of Innisfallen, an Irish chronicle from the early 13th century, where it is spelled as O'Dorchaidhe.
In the 16th century, the surname underwent anglicization, leading to various spellings such as Doran, Doren, and Dorrin. This process was common during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, as Irish names were adapted to English phonetics.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Doran, an Irish soldier and courtier who served under King James I of England in the early 17th century. Another prominent individual was John Doran (1807-1878), an English author and historian who wrote extensively on the history of England and the English monarchy.
In the 19th century, the surname Doran gained further recognition with figures like Dr. John Doran (1807-1878), an English writer and antiquarian, and John W. Doran (1844-1902), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio.
The name Doran also has ties to various place names in Ireland, such as Doran's Rock in County Cork and Doran's Hill in County Donegal, further solidifying its Irish origins.
Throughout history, the Doran surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, authors, politicians, and more, reflecting its enduring presence in both Irish and broader Western culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doran
Among Census respondents with the surname Doran, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Doran 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 Doran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 14,084
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 704
- Two or more races3.4% · 531
- Black or African American1.8% · 282
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 171
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doran
Doran 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
#2,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,704
+195 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 5.66
Rank movement Down 161 places
2020
#2,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,812
-892 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 5.29
Rank movement Down 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,013 | 16,509 | 6.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,174 | 16,704 | 5.66 | +195 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 161 places |
| 2020 | #2,241 | 15,812 | 5.29 | -892 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 67 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 Doran 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 | #2,174 | #2,241 | -3.1% |
| Count | 16,704 | 15,812 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.66 | 5.29 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doran bearers went from 16,704 to 15,812 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,174 to #2,241.
FAQ
Doran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doran?
Name Census estimates that about 18,132 living Americans carry the surname Doran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,903 residents.
How common is Doran?
Doran ranks #2,241 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,812 people with the surname Doran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Doran.
Has Doran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doran went from 16,704 recorded bearers to 15,812. That is a decrease of 892 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,174 to #2,241.
What does the Census say about the background of Doran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doran, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Doran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (14,084 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Doran (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 Doran mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Deoradháin" meaning "descendant of the exile or wanderer." 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 Doran (5.29 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 have the surname Doran?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.