2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dorsam
A variant spelling of the surname Dorsman, likely referring to someone from the German town of Dorsum.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Dorsam. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dorsam 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Dorsam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsam, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dorsam
The surname Dorsam is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, particularly in the vicinity of the city of Augsburg. The name is derived from the Old High German word "dorfsam," which translates to "village" or "settlement."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Dorsam name can be found in the Augsburg Tax Records of 1324, where a certain Heinrich Dorsam is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the Dorsam family had already established itself as a prominent presence in the region by the early 14th century.
During the 15th century, the Dorsam name appears in several historical documents related to the city of Nuremberg. Notable among these is the Nuremberg Chronicle, a renowned illustrated world history book published in 1493, which features an engraving depicting a member of the Dorsam family.
In the 16th century, the Dorsam family gained further prominence and spread to other parts of Germany. Johannes Dorsam (1492-1569), a Lutheran theologian and reformer, was a notable figure during this period. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Another prominent individual bearing the Dorsam name was Christoph Dorsam (1573-1638), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded in his time and helped establish the Dorsam name in the realm of music.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Katharina Dorsam (1629-1698), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Bamberg. Her expertise in traditional medicine and her compassionate care for mothers and infants earned her a reputation that extended beyond the borders of her local community.
In the 19th century, the Dorsam family continued to make its mark in various fields. Johann Dorsam (1816-1891), a German-American entrepreneur, founded the Dorsam Brewing Company in St. Louis, Missouri, which became one of the largest breweries in the Midwest during the latter half of the 19th century.
While the Dorsam surname may have evolved and spread to different parts of the world over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the historic regions of Bavaria and the surrounding areas, where it first gained prominence as a respected family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dorsam
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsam, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dorsam 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 Dorsam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dorsam
Dorsam 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+8 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,877 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-15 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,203 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 1,877 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 15,203 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 Dorsam 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 | #129,825 | #145,028 | -11.7% |
| Count | 131 | 116 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dorsam bearers went from 131 to 116 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 15,203 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #145,028.
FAQ
Dorsam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dorsam?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Dorsam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Dorsam?
Dorsam ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Dorsam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Dorsam.
Has Dorsam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dorsam went from 131 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Dorsam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dorsam, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Dorsam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dorsam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (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 Dorsam (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 Dorsam mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Dorsman, likely referring to someone from the German town of Dorsum. 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 Dorsam (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 have the surname Dorsam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.