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

Dorton, 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 Dorton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dorton in America

Dorton is the 11321st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dorton surname appeared 2,788 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dorton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dorton 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 Dorton

The surname Dorton has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dor" meaning door or gate, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location that had a notable gate or door, possibly a town or village with a significant entrance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dorton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties conducted under the direction of William the Conqueror. This historic manuscript includes references to individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Dortune and Dortun, providing evidence of its existence during the Norman conquest of England.

The name Dorton is also associated with several place names in England, particularly villages and parishes. One notable example is the village of Dorton in Buckinghamshire, which dates back to the 11th century and was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Dortone." This village likely played a role in the surname's evolution and propagation.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Dorton. One of the earliest recorded was William Dorton, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the 14th century and owned properties in London and surrounding areas. Another notable figure was John Dorton (c. 1470-1545), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield during the reign of Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, Thomas Dorton (c. 1510-1572) gained prominence as a renowned scholar and mathematician. He was a fellow of New College, Oxford, and contributed significantly to the fields of astronomy and navigation.

During the 17th century, Richard Dorton (1628-1697) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Recorder of Bristol and played a crucial role in the city's legal system.

In more recent times, Edith Dorton (1871-1951) was an American educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded the North Carolina College for Women, which later became the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

While the surname Dorton is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dorton

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

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

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

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