2000
#23,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 995
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Dorian
Meaning "gift" from the Latin "donum".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,099 Americans carry the last name Dorian. That puts it at #26,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 311,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dorian 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 Dorian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 311,878
Census rank
#26,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
958
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 958 bearers of the surname Dorian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorian, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dorian
The surname Dorian originated in France, emerging in the 12th century. It is derived from the French word "doré," meaning "golden" or "gilded," and was likely initially used as a descriptive surname for someone with golden hair or a fair complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dorian can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a 12th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France, which mentions a certain "Robertus Doreins."
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Doreyn" and "Doreigne," in records from Normandy and other parts of northern France. It is believed that the name may have been associated with several villages or hamlets bearing similar names, such as Dorines and Doréans.
A notable early bearer of the name was Jean Dorian, a French poet and dramatist who lived from around 1435 to 1507. He is best known for his allegorical play "Le Gouvert," which was performed before King Charles VIII of France.
In the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Scotland. One prominent figure from this time was Robert Dorian, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived from 1530 to 1598. He acquired significant properties in Edinburgh and played a role in the city's governance.
Another notable bearer of the name was Julien Dorian, a French painter and engraver who lived from 1637 to 1707. He is known for his religious works and portraits, many of which can be found in churches and museums across France.
As the surname spread throughout Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Dorrien, Dorryan, and Dorien. In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Oscar Wilde's literary character, Dorian Gray, in his novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" published in 1890.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dorian
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorian, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dorian 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 Dorian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 810
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 55
- Black or African American4.3% · 41
- Two or more races3.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dorian
Dorian 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
#25,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 967
-28 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 1,796 places
2020
#26,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 958
-9 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,739 | 995 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,535 | 967 | 0.33 | -28 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,796 places |
| 2020 | #26,789 | 958 | 0.32 | -9 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,254 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 Dorian 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 | #25,535 | #26,789 | -4.9% |
| Count | 967 | 958 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.32 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dorian bearers went from 967 to 958 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,254 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,535 to #26,789.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dorian
FAQ
Dorian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dorian?
Name Census estimates that about 1,099 living Americans carry the surname Dorian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 311,878 residents.
How common is Dorian?
Dorian ranks #26,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 958 people with the surname Dorian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,099), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Dorian.
Has Dorian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dorian went from 967 recorded bearers to 958. That is a decrease of 9 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,535 to #26,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Dorian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorian, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (4.3%). 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 Dorian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (810 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dorian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Hispanic (5.7%), Black (4.3%). 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 Dorian (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 Dorian mean?
Meaning "gift" from the Latin "donum". 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 Dorian (0.32 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 Dorian?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dorian on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.