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Name Lineage

    The first name Dorsey

    A unisex name.

    2 syllables Unisex Also a surname

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Dorsey at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2018, 5 boys born in the United States were named Dorsey, the 12,672nd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1916, when 160 were.

    0100200 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    6,228
    babies named Dorsey since 1880
    #12,672
    rank in 2018
    1916
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Dorsey

    4 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Dorsey Wright
      American actor, born 1957
    • Dorsey Burnette
      American rockabilly musician (1932–1979)
    • Buck Clayton
      American jazz trumpeter (1911-1991)
    • C.J. Harris
      American basketball player (born 1991)

    Questions

    Is Dorsey a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 6,228 US babies named Dorsey since 1880, 13% were girls and 87% boys.
    When was Dorsey most popular?
    1916 in the United States, when 160 babies were named Dorsey, its highest rank at 441st.
    Is Dorsey also a surname?
    Yes. Dorsey is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.