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

Dory, 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 Dory surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dory in America

Dory is the 26492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dory surname appeared 921 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 Dory.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dory 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 Dory

The surname Dory is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime around the 11th or 12th century.

One theory suggests that Dory is derived from the Old French word "doré," meaning "golden" or "gilded." This could indicate that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname, perhaps referring to someone with golden hair or a connection to goldsmithing or metalworking.

Another possibility is that Dory is a topographic surname, referring to a person who lived near a particular landscape feature. In this case, it may have originated from the Old French word "dore," meaning a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name was given to someone residing near a small watercourse.

In terms of historical references, the Dory surname can be found in various medieval records and documents from Normandy. One notable example is the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Rouen, a 12th-century manuscript containing charters and deeds related to the Cathedral of Rouen, where the name appears multiple times.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dory was Guillaume Dory, a Norman nobleman who lived in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles and is known to have participated in the Third Crusade, which took place between 1189 and 1192.

Another prominent figure was Jean Dory, a French explorer and navigator who was born in Rouen around 1508. He is credited with leading several expeditions to the Americas in the mid-16th century and is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to explore parts of the Canadian Maritimes.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the Dory name was Jacques Dory, a French Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to New France (present-day Canada) in the 1630s. He established missions among the Huron and Algonquin peoples and played a significant role in the early evangelization efforts in North America.

Moving to the 18th century, Pierre Dory (1712-1779) was a French architect and engineer who gained recognition for his work on several notable buildings in Paris, including the Église Saint-Roch and the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).

Finally, in the 19th century, Charles Dory (1837-1903) was a French lawyer and politician who served as a member of the National Assembly and was actively involved in the establishment of the Third Republic in France.

While these are just a few examples, the Dory surname has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins rooted in the northern regions of France and a strong presence in various fields, from exploration and missionary work to architecture and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dory

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

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

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

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