Explore the Family Name Doss

The meaning of Doss

German: 1. habitational name from Dosse in Altmark. 2. variant of Dose 1. 3. variant of Austrian (Tyrol) and Swiss German Dosser 2.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Doss has seen a slight decline over the past decade. As of the year 2000, the name was ranked 1598 in terms of popularity, but by 2010, the rank had dropped to 1687, reflecting a decrease of approximately 5.57%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the surname Doss increased from 20623 in 2000 to 21366 in 2010, a growth rate of about 3.6%. However, when viewed in proportion to every 100,000 people, there's been a slight decrease of about 5.24%.

20002010Change
Rank#1,598#1,687-5.57%
Count20,62321,3663.6%
Proportion per 100k7.647.24-5.24%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Doss

Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Doss, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest group identifying with the Doss surname is of White ethnicity, although their percentage declined slightly from 74.01% to 71.18%. The next largest group, Black ethnicity, saw a modest increase from 22.03% to 23.51%. More notable changes occurred within smaller ethnic groups. Those of Hispanic ethnicity increased from 1.45% to 2.07%, while those identifying as two or more races rose from 1.36% to 1.92%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 24.32%, despite remaining a small portion of the overall group. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a minimal decrease from 0.40% to 0.39%.

20002010Change
White74.01%71.18%-3.82%
Black22.03%23.51%6.72%
Hispanic1.45%2.07%42.76%
Two or More Races1.36%1.92%41.18%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.74%0.92%24.32%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.4%0.39%-2.5%

Doss ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Doss is British & Irish, which comprises 57.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.0%) and Nigerian (2.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish57.7%
French & German21.0%
Nigerian2.5%
Other18.8%
Doss

Possible origins of the surname Doss

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Doss have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom86.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom86.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom86.60%
West Midlands, United Kingdom86.60%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom86.30%

What Doss haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Doss is R-DF5, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF5 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hopper, Carden, Lyon, Burd, Fish, Bullock, Scully, Dowling, Lawler, Griffis.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Doss surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

dossPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Doss have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Doss

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Doss" Surname 45.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Doss

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Doss" Surname 28.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Doss

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Doss" Surname 27.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Doss

Cat Allergy

An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.

"Doss" Surname 36.0%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Doss?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Doss are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%