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

Dortch, 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 Dortch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dortch in America

Dortch is the 6965th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dortch surname appeared 4,817 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 Dortch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dortch 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 Dortch

The surname Dortch has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dortchen," which meant "a small valley or ravine." This suggests that the name may have been originally used as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived in or near a small valley or ravine.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names that may be related to the surname Dortch, such as Dortune and Dortun. However, the earliest known recorded instance of the surname itself appears to be in the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dortch was John Dortch, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Another early bearer of the name was William Dortch, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1317.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Dortche, Dortche, and Dorche. One notable individual from this period was Robert Dortch, a merchant from Bristol who lived from around 1530 to 1590.

The surname Dortch has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the most prominent was Sir Robert Dortch (1627-1698), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in the late 17th century.

Another significant individual was John Dortch (1644-1718), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1689 to 1718. He was known for his work on ecclesiastical history and as a translator of ancient texts.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable bearers of the surname was William Dortch (1816-1892), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina from 1859 to 1861.

While the surname Dortch is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by several notable individuals over the centuries, reflecting its origins as a topographic name associated with small valleys or ravines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dortch

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

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

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

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