2000
#12,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Dossett
A locational surname derived from a place in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a dosser or basket maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,519 Americans carry the last name Dossett. That puts it at #13,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,068 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dossett surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dossett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,068
Census rank
#13,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,197 bearers of the surname Dossett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dossett, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dossett
The surname Dossett has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English word "dossett," which referred to a thicket or small wooded area. It is likely that the name was initially a descriptive one, given to someone who lived near or worked in such a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dossett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Dosset." This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before the turn of the 13th century.
The Dossett family is believed to have originated in the county of Staffordshire, particularly in the areas around Lichfield and Tamworth. In the 13th century, the name was also found in records from Warwickshire and Worcestershire, indicating the family's spread across the West Midlands region.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Dossett, Dosset, Dossitt, and Dossit. These variations likely arose from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One notable individual bearing the Dossett surname was John Dossett, a Quaker who was born in 1660 in Wiltshire. He was a prominent figure in the early Quaker movement and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the period.
Another individual of note was Robert Dossett, who was born in Warwickshire in 1725. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with creating some of the finest clocks of the 18th century, which are now highly sought after by collectors.
In the 19th century, William Dossett (1812-1890) was a prominent businessman and landowner in Staffordshire. He played a significant role in the development of the local community and was instrumental in the establishment of several philanthropic institutions.
The Dossett family also had a presence in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Thomas Dossett, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of the country, contributing to the spread of the name across the American colonies.
Another notable figure was Mary Dossett (1768-1853), a Quaker from Pennsylvania who was known for her advocacy of abolition and women's rights. She was an active participant in the Underground Railroad, helping to shelter and transport enslaved individuals seeking freedom.
Throughout its history, the surname Dossett has been associated with various occupations, including agriculture, clockmaking, and business. While not among the most common surnames, it has left its mark on the English-speaking world, with individuals bearing the name making significant contributions to their respective fields and communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dossett
Among Census respondents with the surname Dossett, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dossett bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Dossett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 1,966
- Black or African American3.9% · 86
- Two or more races2.7% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dossett
Dossett appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,397
+110 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#13,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,197
-200 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,450 | 2,287 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,842 | 2,397 | 0.81 | +110 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #13,296 | 2,197 | 0.74 | -200 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 454 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Dossett surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,842 | #13,296 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,397 | 2,197 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.74 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dossett bearers went from 2,397 to 2,197 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 454 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,842 to #13,296.
FAQ
Dossett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dossett?
Name Census estimates that about 2,519 living Americans carry the surname Dossett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,068 residents.
How common is Dossett?
Dossett ranks #13,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,197 people with the surname Dossett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,519), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dossett.
Has Dossett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dossett went from 2,397 recorded bearers to 2,197. That is a decrease of 200 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,842 to #13,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Dossett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dossett, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dossett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (1,966 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dossett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Black (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Dossett (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Dossett mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a dosser or basket maker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Dossett (0.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Dossett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.