How Many People Are Named Dossie?
An estimated 144 people in the United States have the first name Dossie. It is used for both genders, with 54.9% female. The average bearer is 82 years old, and Dossie peaked in popularity in 1917 with 32 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Dossie 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 Dossie paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Dossie has shifted from predominantly female to increasingly male in recent decades.
- Dossie is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
- With an average bearer age of 82, Dossie is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1954.
Estimated Living Americans
144
About 1 in 2,380,238 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
54.9% confidence
Average Age
82
years old
Peak Year
1917
32 births
Total Registered
1,034
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Dossie
Dossie is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (45.1%) and females (54.9%). Out of 1,034 total births registered, 466 were male and 568 were female.
Dossie as a male name
Ranked #4,589 in 1972
6 male births in 1972
Peak: 1927 (18 births)
Dossie as a female name
Ranked #6,616 in 1960
5 female births in 1960
Peak: 1915 (21 births)
Dossie in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 271 people with the first name Dossie, which placed it at #31,546 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, Dossie was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 271 people with this name in that snapshot, 60.9% were male and 39.1% were female. That is more heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 54.9% female.
Census Count
271
people with this name
Census Rank
#31,546
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.09
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dossie was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (51.62%). The next largest recorded groups were White (40.07%) and Two or More Races (3.61%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Dossie in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Dossie.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 51.62% | 143 |
| White | 40.07% | 111 |
| Two or More Races | 3.61% | 10 |
| Hispanic | 1.81% | 5 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.81% | 5 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.08% | 3 |
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.
Dossie: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Dossie span from the 1880s to the 1970s, covering 10 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 267 babies were registered. Dossie has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Dossie by Decade
How has Dossie 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.
Dossie by State
Birth registrations for Dossie span all 3 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee. The lowest are in Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina. On average, about 7 Dossies were registered per state.
Dossie + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Dossie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Dossie
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
Dossie: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dossie?
We estimate approximately 144 people named Dossie 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 2,380,238 Americans share this first name.
Is Dossie a common name?
Dossie is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 69.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,034 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Dossie most popular?
Dossie reached peak popularity in 1917, when 32 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Dossie is approximately 82 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Dossie in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 271 people with the first name Dossie. That placed it at #31,546 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.09 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 Dossie 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 Dossie?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Dossie was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 60.9% male and 39.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dossie?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Dossie was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (51.62%). The next largest recorded groups were White (40.07%) and Two or More Races (3.61%). 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 Dossie a female name?
Dossie is predominantly female. 54.9% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Dossie 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. Dossie peaked in 1917, and the average living bearer is about 82 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Dossie Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Dossie Smith, Dossie Johnson, Dossie 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.
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