2000
#2,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,249
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.91
Uncommon Last name
Dowdy
Derived from a nickname for a fashionable person, from Middle English dowde meaning "elegant, fine."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,699 Americans carry the last name Dowdy. That puts it at #2,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dowdy 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 Dowdy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,318
Census rank
#2,736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,818 bearers of the surname Dowdy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dowdy, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dowdy
The surname Dowdy is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a variant of the Old English word "dudd," which means a rag or tattered garment. This suggests that the name may have been initially assigned as a nickname to someone who wore ragged or shabby clothing.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Dowdy, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. The name also appeared in various medieval records, including the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1450, where a William Dowdy was mentioned.
The Dowdy surname has several spelling variations throughout history, such as Dowdie, Doudy, and Doudey. Some of these variations may have originated from different regions or dialects within England.
In the 16th century, the surname Dowdy appeared in the Musters of Norfolk, where a Robert Dowdy was listed in 1586. Around the same time, a John Dowdy was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1598.
One notable individual with the surname Dowdy was Sir John Dowdy (1543-1628), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark in 1593 and 1597. He was also appointed as a Serjeant-at-Law in 1603.
Another historical figure was William Dowdy (1617-1684), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Buckworth in Huntingdonshire. He published several works, including a treatise on the Sabbath and a commentary on the Book of Revelation.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Dowdy (1730-1809), an English sailor and explorer who accompanied Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages to the Pacific Ocean. He served as a master's mate and helped navigate the ships during their expeditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dowdy surname in America was Thomas Dowdy, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He was among the early settlers in the colony and may have been the progenitor of many Dowdy families in the United States.
Another significant figure was Henry Dowdy (1794-1858), an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina. He served as a member of the North Carolina House of Commons and was a prominent advocate for internal improvements and education in the state.
While the Dowdy surname may have humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields throughout history, from law and politics to exploration and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dowdy
Among Census respondents with the surname Dowdy, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dowdy 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 Dowdy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3% · 9,522
- Black or African American17.1% · 2,192
- Two or more races4.5% · 581
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 358
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dowdy
Dowdy 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
#2,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,468
+219 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 4.57
Rank movement Down 184 places
2020
#2,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,818
-650 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 4.29
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,494 | 13,249 | 4.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,678 | 13,468 | 4.57 | +219 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 184 places |
| 2020 | #2,736 | 12,818 | 4.29 | -650 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 58 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 Dowdy 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 | #2,678 | #2,736 | -2.2% |
| Count | 13,468 | 12,818 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.57 | 4.29 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dowdy bearers went from 13,468 to 12,818 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,678 to #2,736.
FAQ
Dowdy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dowdy?
Name Census estimates that about 14,699 living Americans carry the surname Dowdy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,318 residents.
How common is Dowdy?
Dowdy ranks #2,736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,818 people with the surname Dowdy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,699), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Dowdy.
Has Dowdy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dowdy went from 13,468 recorded bearers to 12,818. That is a decrease of 650 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,678 to #2,736.
What does the Census say about the background of Dowdy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dowdy, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Dowdy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (9,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dowdy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.3%), Black (17.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Dowdy (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 Dowdy mean?
Derived from a nickname for a fashionable person, from Middle English dowde meaning "elegant, fine." 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 Dowdy (4.29 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 Dowdy?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Dowdy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.