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

Dorse, 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 Dorse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dorse in America

Dorse is the 76533rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dorse surname appeared 251 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 Dorse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dorse 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 Dorse

The surname Dorse has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dor," meaning a door or gateway, and may have originally referred to someone who lived near a prominent gate or entrance.

One of the earliest known references to the name Dorse can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners in various counties. In this document, a Richard Dorse is listed as holding land in Oxfordshire. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of 1301, an ancient record of financial transactions, mentioning a John Dorse from Cambridgeshire.

During the medieval period, the surname was often associated with specific locations, such as Dorse Manor in Somerset, which was owned by the Dorse family in the 14th century. The name is also linked to the village of Dorset, which may have influenced the spelling variations "Dorsett" and "Dorset."

Notable individuals with the surname Dorse include Sir William Dorse (1425-1489), a prominent landowner and knight from Wiltshire, and Robert Dorse (1560-1623), a merchant and alderman in the City of London. In the literary world, there was Thomas Dorse (1678-1741), an English poet and playwright who authored several works in the early 18th century.

Other historical figures bearing the Dorse name include Captain James Dorse (1712-1793), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War, and Reverend Henry Dorse (1797-1867), a clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

Throughout its long history, the surname Dorse has maintained its distinct English roots, with variations in spelling and pronunciation arising from regional influences and the passage of time. Despite its relative rarity in modern times, the name continues to carry a rich legacy rooted in the ancient landscapes and chronicles of Britain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dorse

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!