2000
#3,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.41
Uncommon Last name
Dover
An English toponymic surname derived from the town of Dover, meaning "the waters" or "the stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,509 Americans carry the last name Dover. That puts it at #3,775 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dover 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 Dover with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,615
Census rank
#3,775
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,164 bearers of the surname Dover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3775th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dover, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dover
The surname Dover has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is considered a locational name, derived from the place name Dover, which itself comes from the Old English word "dufr," meaning a small stream or brook.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists individuals with variations such as "de Dovere" and "de Dover." These forms suggest that the name initially referred to people who hailed from the town of Dover in Kent, located along the English Channel coast.
During the 13th century, further records emerge, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mention a "William de Dover." This suggests that the name had begun to spread beyond its original geographical location, likely due to migration and relocation of families.
One notable historical figure bearing the name was John Dover (c. 1530-1603), an English poet and playwright who served as a chaplain to several noblemen, including the Earl of Leicester. His works include a poetic translation of the Psalms and a collection of epigrams.
Another individual of note was Robert Dover (c. 1575-1654), an English lawyer and writer who is best remembered for reviving the annual Cotswold Games in Gloucestershire. These games, which included sports, dancing, and revelry, were held annually on Whitsun Thursday and helped preserve traditional English customs and pastimes.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, such as the marriage of Thomas Dover to Elizabeth Smyth in 1618, recorded in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Thomas Dover (1660-1742), an English physician and author who is credited with introducing a popular medicinal powder, known as "Dover's Powder," which contained opium and ipecacuanha.
Another notable figure was Abraham Dover (1731-1799), an English landscape artist and engraver who produced numerous topographical views of English cities and towns, including his birthplace of Canterbury.
While the surname Dover has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, carrying with it the historical legacy of its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dover
Among Census respondents with the surname Dover, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dover 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 Dover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 7,357
- Black or African American11.0% · 1,006
- Two or more races3.9% · 356
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 306
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dover
Dover 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
#3,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,742
+551 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#3,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,164
-578 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,548 | 9,191 | 3.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,651 | 9,742 | 3.30 | +551 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #3,775 | 9,164 | 3.07 | -578 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 124 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 Dover 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 | #3,651 | #3,775 | -3.4% |
| Count | 9,742 | 9,164 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.30 | 3.07 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dover bearers went from 9,742 to 9,164 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,651 to #3,775.
FAQ
Dover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dover?
Name Census estimates that about 10,509 living Americans carry the surname Dover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,615 residents.
How common is Dover?
Dover ranks #3,775 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,164 people with the surname Dover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,509), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Dover.
Has Dover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dover went from 9,742 recorded bearers to 9,164. That is a decrease of 578 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,651 to #3,775.
What does the Census say about the background of Dover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dover, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Dover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (7,357 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Black (11.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Dover (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 Dover mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from the town of Dover, meaning "the waters" or "the stream." 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 Dover (3.07 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 share the surname Dover?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.