2000
#43,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 462
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Rare Last name
Dorsainvil
A French surname derived from a place name, possibly originating from Saint-Domingue (Haiti).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,277 Americans carry the last name Dorsainvil. That puts it at #23,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 268,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dorsainvil 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
1.3K
1 in 268,406
Census rank
#23,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,114 bearers of the surname Dorsainvil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsainvil, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dorsainvil
The surname DORSAINVIL originates from Haiti, tracing its roots back to the late 18th century when the Haitian Revolution took place. It is believed to have derived from a combination of French and Haitian Creole words, with "Dor" possibly stemming from the French word "d'or" meaning "golden" or "of gold," and "Sainvil" being a variation of the French word "Saint-Ville," meaning "Holy City."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DORSAINVIL surname can be found in documents from the revolutionary period, when Haiti was transitioning from French colonial rule to an independent nation. The name may have been adopted by individuals or families who played a role in the struggle for independence or were associated with the revolutionary movements.
In the early 19th century, a notable figure bearing the DORSAINVIL surname was Jean-Baptiste DORSAINVIL, a Haitian military leader and politician. He was born around 1780 and played a significant role in the Haitian Revolution, serving under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture and later becoming a general in the Haitian army.
Another historical figure with the DORSAINVIL surname was Michel DORSAINVIL, a Haitian educator and writer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He founded the Collège DORSAINVIL, a prestigious educational institution in Port-au-Prince, and authored several works on Haitian history and culture.
In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the DORSAINVIL surname was Franck DORSAINVIL, a Haitian diplomat and politician. Born in 1921, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Haiti from 1987 to 1988 and played a crucial role in international relations during a turbulent period in the country's history.
Another notable figure is Gérard DORSAINVIL, a Haitian artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his unique style and contributions to the Haitian art scene. Born in 1951, his works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums around the world, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Haiti.
It is worth noting that the DORSAINVIL surname has also been associated with certain geographical locations within Haiti, particularly in the regions where those bearing the name may have originated or established themselves. However, the exact origins and historical details surrounding specific place names or local variations of the surname remain elusive.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dorsainvil
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsainvil, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dorsainvil 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 Dorsainvil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.4% · 1,029
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 39
- White1.9% · 21
- Two or more races1.9% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dorsainvil
Dorsainvil 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
#29,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 802
+340 bearers (+73.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 14,508 places
2020
#23,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,114
+312 bearers (+38.9%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 5,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,955 | 462 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,447 | 802 | 0.27 | +340 bearers (+73.6%) | Up 14,508 places |
| 2020 | #23,522 | 1,114 | 0.37 | +312 bearers (+38.9%) | Up 5,925 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 Dorsainvil 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 | #29,447 | #23,522 | 20.1% |
| Count | 802 | 1,114 | 38.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.37 | 38.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dorsainvil bearers went from 802 to 1,114 (+38.9% change). The surname moved up 5,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,447 to #23,522.
FAQ
Dorsainvil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dorsainvil?
Name Census estimates that about 1,277 living Americans carry the surname Dorsainvil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 268,406 residents.
How common is Dorsainvil?
Dorsainvil ranks #23,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 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 1,114 people with the surname Dorsainvil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 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 Dorsainvil.
Has Dorsainvil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dorsainvil went from 802 recorded bearers to 1,114. That is an increase of 312 (+38.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,447 to #23,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Dorsainvil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsainvil, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and White (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dorsainvil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,029 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dorsainvil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.4%), Hispanic (3.5%), White (1.9%). 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 Dorsainvil (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 Dorsainvil mean?
A French surname derived from a place name, possibly originating from Saint-Domingue (Haiti). 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 Dorsainvil (0.37 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 Dorsainvil?
See how many people have the surname Dorsainvil on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.