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

Dorcely, 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 Dorcely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dorcely in America

Dorcely is the 37646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dorcely surname appeared 591 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dorcely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dorcely 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 Dorcely

The surname Dorcely originates from Haiti and can be traced back to the early 19th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "dorceliere," which means "maker or seller of brass wares." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a trade or occupation in metalwork.

During the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), many records were lost or destroyed, making it difficult to pinpoint the earliest known instances of the Dorcely name. However, some historical references suggest that the name appeared in documents from the late 18th century, particularly in the northern regions of Haiti.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Dorcely surname was Jean-Baptiste Dorcely, a Haitian writer and poet who lived from 1805 to 1866. He is known for his contributions to Haitian literature and his work as a journalist during the turbulent times of the Haitian Revolution.

Another notable figure was André Dorcely, a Haitian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1932 to 1936. He played a crucial role in shaping Haiti's international relations during that period.

In the 20th century, the Dorcely name gained prominence with individuals such as Jean-Claude Dorcely, a prominent Haitian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Dorcely Foundation, which aims to improve education and healthcare in Haiti. He lived from 1924 to 2012.

The surname Dorcely is also associated with the village of Dorcely, located in the Artibonite Department of Haiti. It is possible that the name originated from this particular place, though the exact connection remains uncertain.

Additionally, there is evidence of variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Dorcelli and Dorsely, which appeared in historical documents from the 19th and early 20th centuries. These variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or linguistic adaptations over time.

While the Dorcely surname is primarily concentrated in Haiti, it has also been carried by individuals who have migrated to other parts of the world, contributing to the diaspora and cultural diversity of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dorcely

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

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

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

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