2000
#11,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Dahlin
A Swedish ornamental surname derived from the Swedish word "dal" meaning "valley," likely referring to someone from a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,776 Americans carry the last name Dahlin. That puts it at #12,275 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dahlin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,471
Census rank
#12,275
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,421 bearers of the surname Dahlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12275th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dahlin
The surname Dahlin has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse word "daler," which referred to a valley or a dale. The name likely originated as a descriptive identifier for individuals who lived in a specific valley or dale.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dahlin can be found in the medieval Swedish provincial laws, known as the "landskapslagar," which date back to the 13th century. These legal documents often mentioned individuals by their surnames, and the name Dahlin or its variations, such as Dallin or Dalen, appeared in various regions of Sweden.
In Norway, the name Dahlin can be traced back to the 14th century, when it was documented in the Norwegian Diplomatorium, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. One notable Norwegian bearer of the name was Jens Dahlin (1513-1589), a Lutheran clergyman and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation in Norway.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Dahlin was also associated with several prominent Swedish families. One example is the Dahlin family from the province of Västergötland, which produced several notable individuals, including Johan Dahlin (1593-1652), a Swedish military officer and landowner, and his son, Claes Dahlin (1631-1703), a Swedish nobleman and politician.
Another notable bearer of the name was Olof Dahlin (1692-1763), a Swedish clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Strängnäs from 1744 until his death. He was known for his contributions to the Swedish church and his writings on theological subjects.
In more recent times, the name Dahlin has been associated with several prominent figures in various fields. One example is Nils Dahlin (1858-1947), a Swedish painter and etcher who was renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting the Swedish countryside.
Furthermore, the name Dahlin has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in the fields of science and technology. One such individual is John Dahlin (1904-1989), an American electrical engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of television technology during the early 20th century.
While the surname Dahlin has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and intermarriage. However, its historical significance and connections to the valleys and dales of Sweden and Norway remain an integral part of its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dahlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dahlin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Dahlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 2,187
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 94
- Two or more races3.6% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 41
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dahlin
Dahlin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,472
+36 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 762 places
2020
#12,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,421
-51 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,774 | 2,436 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,536 | 2,472 | 0.84 | +36 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 762 places |
| 2020 | #12,275 | 2,421 | 0.81 | -51 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 261 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Dahlin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,536 | #12,275 | 2.1% |
| Count | 2,472 | 2,421 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.81 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dahlin bearers went from 2,472 to 2,421 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 261 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,536 to #12,275.
FAQ
Dahlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dahlin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,776 living Americans carry the surname Dahlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,471 residents.
How common is Dahlin?
Dahlin ranks #12,275 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,421 people with the surname Dahlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,776), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dahlin.
Has Dahlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dahlin went from 2,472 recorded bearers to 2,421. That is a decrease of 51 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,536 to #12,275.
What does the Census say about the background of Dahlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dahlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (2,187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dahlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Dahlin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Dahlin mean?
A Swedish ornamental surname derived from the Swedish word "dal" meaning "valley," likely referring to someone from a valley. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Dahlin (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Dahlin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.