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

Dorsett, 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 Dorsett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dorsett in America

Dorsett is the 6514th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dorsett surname appeared 5,208 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dorsett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dorsett 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 Dorsett

The surname Dorsett originated in England, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning "deer" and "sætan" meaning "settlers" or "inhabitants". This suggests that the name likely referred to individuals who lived in an area populated by deer or those who worked in deer-related industries such as hunting or farming.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dorsett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it is spelled as "Dersete". This document mentions a landowner named William Dersete. The Dorsett name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which lists a John de Dersete.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly associated with the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is believed that many individuals adopted the name Dorsett as a locational surname, indicating their place of origin or residence in this region. The county's name itself is derived from the Old English "Dornsæte", meaning "inhabitants of the Dor region".

In the 14th century, the Dorsett name appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1334, which mentions a Robert Dursete. The Friar's Register of Gloucester from 1358 also includes an entry for a Thomas Dorsett.

Notable individuals with the surname Dorsett throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Dorsett (c. 1505 - 1577), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Dorset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Edward Dorsett (1639 - 1708), an English-born colonial settler and landowner in Maryland, United States.

3. Reverend Obadiah Dorsett (1712 - 1785), a prominent English clergyman and author from Dorset.

4. John Dorsett (1758 - 1835), an English-born farmer and early settler in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada).

5. William Dorsett (1819 - 1891), an English-born painter and artist known for his landscape works depicting scenes from Dorset.

While the Dorsett surname has evolved in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was closely associated with the county of Dorset and the local deer population or related industries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dorsett

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

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

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

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