2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dornier
A German surname likely derived from the place name Dornhan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dornier. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dornier 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Dornier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dornier, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dornier
The surname Dornier is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the German word "dorn," which means "thorn" or "prickly bush." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a thorny area or worked with thorns in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dornier can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Galli, a manuscript from the 9th century that contains records of the Abbey of St. Gallen in Switzerland. This document mentions a person named "Dornarius," which is believed to be a Latin variation of the surname.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family with the surname Dornier living in the town of Ingolstadt, Bavaria. The name appears in various old documents and records from this region, sometimes spelled slightly differently, such as "Dornair" or "Dorner."
One notable individual with the surname Dornier was Claude Dornier, a German aircraft engineer and pioneer of aviation technology. He was born in 1884 and is best known for founding the Dornier aircraft company, which produced innovative designs for flying boats and other aircraft during the early 20th century.
Another prominent figure was Gerhard Dornier, the nephew of Claude Dornier, who was also an aircraft engineer and designer. He was born in 1911 and played a significant role in the development of the Dornier Do X, one of the largest flying boats ever constructed.
In the realm of art, the name Dornier is associated with the German painter and illustrator, Max Dornier, who was born in 1877. He is known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Bavaria.
The surname Dornier can also be found in historical records from other parts of Germany, such as the state of Baden-Württemberg, where it is believed to have been present since the 16th century.
It is important to note that while the name Dornier has a long history in Germany, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its origins and early recorded instances are primarily rooted in the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dornier
Among Census respondents with the surname Dornier, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dornier 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 Dornier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dornier
Dornier 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
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,005 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,005 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 Dornier 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 | #141,309 | -2.2% |
| Count | 121 | 121 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dornier bearers went from 121 to 121 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,005 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dornier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dornier?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dornier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dornier?
Dornier ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Dornier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Dornier.
Has Dornier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dornier went from 121 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dornier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dornier, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Dornier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dornier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Dornier (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 Dornier mean?
A German surname likely derived from the place name Dornhan. 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 Dornier (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 common is the surname Dornier?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Dornier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.