2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dheel
A surname of Indian origin meaning a drummer or singer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Dheel. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dheel 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Dheel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dheel, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.5%) and Black (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dheel
The surname DHEEL originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically the Punjab region. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "dheel," which means "slow" or "sluggish." This name likely originated during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name DHEEL can be traced back to the 16th century in various Persian and Mughal records. It is thought that the name was initially given to individuals who exhibited a calm or leisurely demeanor.
One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Bhai Dheel Singh, a prominent Sikh scholar and poet who lived in the late 16th century. He is renowned for his contributions to Sikh literature and his poetic works, which are still widely studied and revered.
During the Mughal era, the name DHEEL appeared in several administrative records, indicating that individuals with this surname held various positions within the Mughal government and bureaucracy.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Dheel Ram emerged as a prominent trader and merchant in the city of Lahore. He was known for his successful business ventures and his involvement in the local community.
Another individual of historical significance was Dheel Chand, a renowned artist and calligrapher who lived in the 19th century. His intricate works of art and calligraphy adorned many palaces and temples throughout the region.
In more recent times, Dheel Singh Kolhi, a Punjabi folk singer and musician, gained popularity for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Punjabi music. He was born in 1932 and passed away in 2012, leaving behind a rich musical legacy.
The name DHEEL has also been associated with various place names and localities within the Punjab region, such as Dheel Nagar and Dheel Khurd, further solidifying its historical roots in the area.
Over the centuries, the surname DHEEL has undergone various spelling variations, including Dhil, Dheel, and Dheela, reflecting the regional linguistic diversity and cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dheel
Among Census respondents with the surname Dheel, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.5%) and Black (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dheel 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 Dheel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.1% · 76
- Two or more races13.5% · 14
- Black or African American6.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dheel
Dheel 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+17 bearers (+15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,226 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-20 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,997 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+15.9%) | Up 7,226 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 17,997 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 Dheel 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 | #135,593 | #153,590 | -13.3% |
| Count | 124 | 104 | -16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dheel bearers went from 124 to 104 (-16.1% change). The surname moved down 17,997 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #153,590.
FAQ
Dheel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dheel?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Dheel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Dheel?
Dheel ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Dheel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dheel.
Has Dheel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dheel went from 124 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Dheel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dheel, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.5%) and Black (6.7%). 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 Dheel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.1% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dheel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.1%), Two or More Races (13.5%), Black (6.7%). 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 Dheel (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 Dheel mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning a drummer or singer. 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 Dheel (0.03 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 Dheel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.