2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dottore
An Italian surname meaning "doctor" or "teacher".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Dottore. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dottore 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.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Dottore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dottore, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dottore
The surname "Dottore" is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "dottore" which means "doctor" or "learned man". It emerged as a family name during the Middle Ages, likely in the 14th or 15th century.
The name Dottore was initially used to refer to individuals who had achieved a high level of education, particularly those who had earned a doctoral degree or held a respected position in academia or the medical field. It was a way to distinguish learned individuals from the general populace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dottore can be found in the archives of the University of Bologna, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. In the 15th century, several scholars and academics with the surname Dottore were associated with the university, indicating the name's connection to academic achievement.
In the 16th century, the name Dottore appeared in various historical records across Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. One notable figure from this period was Girolamo Dottore (1532-1598), a renowned Italian physician and author who wrote extensively on medical topics.
During the Renaissance period, the name Dottore gained further prominence as individuals from this family made significant contributions to the arts, sciences, and literature. One such individual was Giulio Dottore (1564-1631), a renowned painter and architect who worked in Rome and left a lasting impact on the city's architectural landscape.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Dottore continued to be associated with intellectual and academic pursuits. In the 18th century, Giovanni Battista Dottore (1708-1787) was a renowned Italian mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Another noteworthy figure with the surname Dottore was Vincenzo Dottore (1829-1898), an Italian philosopher and writer who was a proponent of the Hegelian philosophical tradition. His works explored various aspects of metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics.
Throughout its history, the surname Dottore has been a testament to the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual excellence. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has endured as a symbol of academic achievement and scholarly pursuits across generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dottore
Among Census respondents with the surname Dottore, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dottore 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 Dottore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dottore
Dottore 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+6 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,425 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-11 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,224 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 3,425 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 12,224 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 Dottore 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 | #129,825 | #142,049 | -9.4% |
| Count | 131 | 120 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dottore bearers went from 131 to 120 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 12,224 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #142,049.
FAQ
Dottore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dottore?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Dottore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Dottore?
Dottore ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Dottore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dottore.
Has Dottore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dottore went from 131 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Dottore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dottore, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Dottore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dottore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (2.5%), Black (0.8%). 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 Dottore (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 Dottore mean?
An Italian surname meaning "doctor" or "teacher". 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 Dottore (0.04 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 people have the last name Dottore?
Find out how many people are called Dottore on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.