How Many People Are Named Dorris?

An estimated 1,655 people in the United States have the first name Dorris. It is used for both genders, with 81.5% female. The average bearer is 77 years old, and Dorris peaked in popularity in 1924 with 354 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Dorris as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Dorris paired with any surname.

Key Insights

  • With an average bearer age of 77, Dorris is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1959.

Estimated Living Americans

1,655

About 1 in 207,102 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

81.5% confidence

Average Age

77

years old

Peak Year

1924

354 births

Total Registered

9,035

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Dorris

Dorris is predominantly female (81.5%), though 1,675 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 1,675 (18.5%)
Female 7,360 (81.5%)

Dorris as a male name

Ranked #6,113 in 1977

5 male births in 1977

Peak: 1922 (58 births)

Dorris as a female name

Ranked #13,578 in 1990

5 female births in 1990

Peak: 1924 (304 births)

Dorris in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 3,008 people with the first name Dorris, which placed it at #5,623 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Dorris was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 3,008 people with this name in that snapshot, 14.5% were male and 85.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 81.5% of the time.

Census Count

3,008

people with this name

Census Rank

#5,623

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

1.00

per 100,000 people

Male 436 (14.5%)
Female 2,572 (85.5%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Dorris was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (65.14%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (25.96%) and Hispanic (3.52%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Dorris in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
65.14%
Black
25.96%
Hispanic
3.52%
Asian/Pacific Islander
2.23%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.76%
Two or More Races
2.39%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Dorris.

Group Share Count
White 65.14% 1,960
Black 25.96% 781
Hispanic 3.52% 106
Two or More Races 2.39% 72
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.23% 67
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76% 23

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Dorris: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Dorris span from the 1880s to the 1990s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 3,126 babies were registered. Dorris has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

Male
Female
0 71 142 212 283 354 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980

Dorris by Decade

How has Dorris tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1880s 6 0 6
1890s 95 11 84
1900s 292 17 275
1910s 1,476 280 1,196
1920s 3,126 472 2,654
1930s 1,936 425 1,511
1940s 1,110 265 845
1950s 617 123 494
1960s 260 58 202
1970s 77 24 53
1980s 35 0 35
1990s 5 0 5

Dorris by State

Birth registrations for Dorris span all 33 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi. The lowest are in West Virginia, Washington, Montana. On average, about 170 Dorriss were registered per state.

Dorris + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Dorris as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Dorris: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Dorris?

We estimate approximately 1,655 people named Dorris are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 207,102 Americans share this first name.

Is Dorris a common name?

Dorris is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 92.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 9,035 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Dorris most popular?

Dorris reached peak popularity in 1924, when 354 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Dorris is approximately 77 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Dorris in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 3,008 people with the first name Dorris. That placed it at #5,623 in the published Census first-name tables, or 1.00 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Dorris was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Dorris?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Dorris was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 14.5% male and 85.5% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Dorris?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Dorris was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (65.14%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (25.96%) and Hispanic (3.52%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Dorris a female name?

Dorris is predominantly female. 81.5% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Dorris have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Dorris peaked in 1924, and the average living bearer is about 77 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Dorris Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Dorris Smith, Dorris Johnson, Dorris Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination