Dickson
Son of Richard, from the surname derived from the given name Richard.
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the first name Dickson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dickson today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dickson births was 1961 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dickson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
436
~ 1 in 786,134 Americans
Peak year
1961
15 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,684
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Dickson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dickson from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 105 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dickson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dickson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dicksons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dickson
The name Dickson is believed to have originated in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a patronymic name derived from the Old English personal name "Dicca" or "Diccon," which itself is a pet form of the name Richard.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Dickson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Dicson" in this historical record.
In the 12th century, the name Dickson was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland, which were administrative records kept by the English government. This suggests that individuals bearing the name Dickson were living in the northern region of England during this time period.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Dickson was Sir Adam Dickson, a Scottish knight who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in various medieval Scottish chronicles and was known for his military service.
Another notable bearer of the name Dickson was John Dickson, a Scottish theologian and philosopher who lived from 1583 to 1663. He was a professor at the University of Glasgow and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, James Dickson (1738-1822) was a British botanist and plant collector who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the West Indies and other regions. He is credited with introducing numerous plant species to Britain and Europe.
During the 19th century, Sir James Dickson (1832-1901) was a prominent Australian politician and lawyer. He served as the Premier of Queensland and played a crucial role in the federation of Australia.
In the field of literature, one of the most famous individuals with the name Dickson was the American writer Harry Dickson (1891-1975). He is best known for his science fiction and fantasy stories, many of which were published in popular pulp magazines in the early 20th century.
People
Dickson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dickson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dickson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dickson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 436 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dickson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 786,134 US residents.
Is Dickson a common name?
We classify Dickson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 610 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dickson most popular?
The single biggest year for Dickson was 1961, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dickson is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dickson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dickson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.