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

Dottery, 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 Dottery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dottery in America

Dottery is the 75317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dottery surname appeared 256 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 Dottery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dottery 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 Dottery

The surname DOTTERY originated in England during the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old English word "dottrian", meaning to become silly or foolish. The name likely referred to someone with a comical or eccentric personality.

DOTTERY is believed to have first appeared in the county of Somerset, in the southwest of England. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Dotterie, Dottrie, and Dottery. The name is not found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting its emergence occurred later.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DOTTERY dates back to 1587, when a Thomas Dottery is mentioned in parish records from the village of Winsham, Somerset. Another early reference is John Dottery, born in 1612 in Chard, Somerset.

In the 17th century, the DOTTERY name began to spread beyond Somerset. A notable example is William Dottery (1655-1718), a merchant from Bristol who made a fortune in international trade. His descendants later established themselves in Gloucestershire.

The 18th century saw the DOTTERY name gain prominence in the neighboring county of Dorset. Reverend Robert Dottery (1722-1802) was a respected clergyman and author from Poole. His grandson, William Dottery (1789-1867), became a successful banker in London.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, members of the DOTTERY family migrated to urban centers in search of work. One such individual was James Dottery (1820-1895), a coal miner from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. His son, also named James (1852-1928), became a prominent trade union leader.

Throughout its history, the DOTTERY surname has maintained a strong presence in southern England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Gloucestershire. While not a widespread name, it has contributed to the rich tapestry of English family histories.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dottery

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

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

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

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