2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dorbin
Habitational surname derived from a place name, likely of Scottish or northern English origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Dorbin. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dorbin 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Dorbin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorbin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dorbin
The surname DORBIN originated in the northern regions of France during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "dorbin," which referred to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who lived near or worked around a small waterway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DORBIN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dorbyn." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landowners and their holdings in England at the time.
In the 13th century, a variation of the name, "Dorbine," was found in the tax records of Normandy, France. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original region and was still in use at that time.
The DORBIN surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the village of Dorbin in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France may have derived its name from the same Old French root word.
Notable individuals with the surname DORBIN include:
1. Jean DORBIN (c. 1550-1629), a French philosopher and theologian known for his works on metaphysics and ethics.
2. Pierre DORBIN (1610-1679), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of St. Gervais et St. Protais.
3. Étienne DORBIN (1673-1741), a French painter and engraver who was a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture.
4. Marie-Françoise DORBIN (1725-1803), a French writer and novelist who published several popular works during the Enlightenment period.
5. Louis DORBIN (1822-1899), a French military officer who served in the Franco-Prussian War and received the Légion d'Honneur for his service.
While the DORBIN surname may have originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period and the northern regions of France, where it likely began as an occupational surname related to small waterways.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dorbin
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorbin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dorbin 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 Dorbin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.9% · 86
- Black or African American18.6% · 22
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dorbin
Dorbin 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,267 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,267 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,207 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 Dorbin 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 | #138,304 | #143,511 | -3.8% |
| Count | 121 | 118 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dorbin bearers went from 121 to 118 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,207 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #143,511.
FAQ
Dorbin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dorbin?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Dorbin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Dorbin?
Dorbin ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Dorbin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dorbin.
Has Dorbin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dorbin went from 121 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Dorbin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorbin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Dorbin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dorbin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.9%), Black (18.6%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Dorbin (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 Dorbin mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name, likely of Scottish or northern English origin. 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 Dorbin (0.04 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 share the surname Dorbin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.