Find out how popular the last name Dennison is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dennison.

Dennison, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dennison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dennison in America

Dennison is the 2465th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dennison surname appeared 14,629 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Dennison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dennison to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dennison

The surname Dennison has its origins in England, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a patronymic name derived from the personal name Dennis, which itself stems from the French name Denis or the Latin Dionysius. The name may have originated in areas like Derbyshire or Yorkshire, where historical records show early instances of the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dennison can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, which mention a "William Denisun." The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Dennison, indicating its presence in various parts of England during the medieval period.

The name may have initially been associated with individuals who were the sons of someone named Dennis, with the suffix "-son" denoting this familial connection. Over time, the spelling evolved from variations like Denison, Denyson, and Dennysun to the more modern form of Dennison.

In the 14th century, records show individuals with the surname Dennison residing in places like Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a "Johannes Denysoun" in Nottinghamshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a "Robertus Denyson" in Lincolnshire.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Dennison. One example is John Dennison (c. 1615-1682), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who served as a minister in New England during the 17th century. Another is David Dennison (1615-1663), an English soldier and politician who fought for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Robert Dennison (1745-1820) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. William Dennison (1815-1882) was an American politician who served as the 24th Governor of Ohio from 1860 to 1862, playing a significant role during the Civil War era.

Lastly, Lyle Denniston (1923-2022) was an American journalist and legal analyst who covered the Supreme Court of the United States for over six decades, gaining recognition as one of the nation's preeminent experts on the Court's workings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dennison

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dennison.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dennison was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dennison has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dennison was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dennison, please contact us.

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