2000
#3,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,097
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.37
Rare Last name
Dugger
An English occupational surname for a leather worker or maker of leather bottles and jugs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,801 Americans carry the last name Dugger. That puts it at #4,030 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,971 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dugger 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
9.8K
1 in 34,971
Census rank
#4,030
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,547 bearers of the surname Dugger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4030th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dugger, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dugger
The surname Dugger is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "dohter," which means "daughter." It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where it appears as "Doughter." The variant spelling "Dugger" emerged later, likely due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
The name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person who was the daughter of a prominent individual or family. It could also have been used as a nickname or a derivative of a more common given name.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Dugger. However, there are entries for individuals with similar names, such as "Ducker" and "Dockray," which may have been related or shared a common origin.
One notable bearer of the Dugger name was John Dugger, born around 1580 in Yorkshire, England. He was a merchant and landowner known for his involvement in local affairs and his philanthropic contributions to the community.
Another historical figure with the Dugger surname was Elizabeth Dugger, born in 1652 in Lancashire. She was a renowned herbalist and midwife, widely respected for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her dedication to helping women during childbirth.
In the 17th century, the Dugger family established a presence in the village of Dugger's Mill, located in Northamptonshire. The village's name is believed to have been derived from the Dugger family's ownership and operation of a local mill.
William Dugger, born in 1715 in Dugger's Mill, was a notable figure in the English Civil War. He fought alongside the Parliamentarian forces and was commended for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
The Dugger surname also has a connection to the town of Dugger in Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The town was named after the Dugger family, who were among the earliest settlers in the area in the early 19th century.
Throughout history, the Dugger name has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and craftsmanship, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dugger
Among Census respondents with the surname Dugger, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dugger 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 Dugger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 6,660
- Black or African American13.0% · 1,112
- Two or more races4.6% · 389
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 263
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dugger
Dugger 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
#3,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,164
+67 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 3.11
Rank movement Down 282 places
2020
#4,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,547
-617 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 2.86
Rank movement Down 161 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,587 | 9,097 | 3.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,869 | 9,164 | 3.11 | +67 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 282 places |
| 2020 | #4,030 | 8,547 | 2.86 | -617 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 161 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 Dugger 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 | #3,869 | #4,030 | -4.2% |
| Count | 9,164 | 8,547 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.11 | 2.86 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dugger bearers went from 9,164 to 8,547 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 161 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,869 to #4,030.
FAQ
Dugger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dugger?
Name Census estimates that about 9,801 living Americans carry the surname Dugger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,971 residents.
How common is Dugger?
Dugger ranks #4,030 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.86 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 8,547 people with the surname Dugger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.86 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 Dugger.
Has Dugger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dugger went from 9,164 recorded bearers to 8,547. That is a decrease of 617 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,869 to #4,030.
What does the Census say about the background of Dugger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dugger, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Dugger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (6,660 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dugger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (13.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Dugger (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 Dugger mean?
An English occupational surname for a leather worker or maker of leather bottles and jugs. 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 Dugger (2.86 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 Dugger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.