Explore the Family Name Dolly

The meaning of Dolly

Irish (Galway): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dathlaoich ‘descendant of Dathlaoch’, a personal name composed of the elements dath ‘bright, colored’ + laoch ‘hero’, ‘champion’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Dolly in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Dolly has seen a surge in popularity over the past decade. In 2000, it was ranked as the 18,724th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 17,784th spot, indicating a growth of 5.02%. The count of people with this surname also increased from 1,355 in 2000 to 1,575 in 2010, marking a significant rise of 16.24%. Similarly, the proportion of people named Dolly per 100,000 also grew by 6.0%, moving from 0.5 in 2000 to 0.53 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#18,724#17,7845.02%
Count1,3551,57516.24%
Proportion per 100k0.50.536%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dolly

When reviewing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Dolly, the Decennial U.S. Census data offers some interesting insights. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (78.35% in 2010, down from 82.73% in 2000), there were notable increases in other groups. For instance, the percentage of people with this surname who identify as Hispanic rose dramatically from 0.81% in 2000 to 2.29% in 2010, representing a change of 182.72%. Additionally, those identifying as Black also saw an increase from 13.95% to 15.56%. Meanwhile, the representation of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native under the Dolly surname made their appearance in 2010 with 1.97% and 0.38%, respectively. However, those identifying with two or more races slightly decreased from 1.55% to 1.46% during the same period.

20002010Change
White82.73%78.35%-5.29%
Black13.95%15.56%11.54%
Hispanic0.81%2.29%182.72%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%1.97%0%
Two or More Races1.55%1.46%-5.81%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.38%0%