2000
#9,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,068
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Dhillon
A Jatt surname of Sikh origin, likely derived from the name of a Punjabi village or clan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,256 Americans carry the last name Dhillon. That puts it at #4,760 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,516 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dhillon 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dhillon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,516
Census rank
#4,760
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,200 bearers of the surname Dhillon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4760th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhillon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dhillon
The surname Dhillon originated in the Punjab region of India. It is derived from the village of Dhilwan, which is located in the district of Hoshiarpur, Punjab. The name is believed to have originated in the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal Empire.
The name Dhillon is thought to be an adaptation of the Sanskrit word "dhillika," which means "small village." This suggests that the name was likely used to identify individuals who hailed from the village of Dhilwan or its surrounding areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dhillon can be found in the Mughal administrative records of the 16th century. These records often listed the names of local landowners and officials, and it is possible that some of these individuals bore the surname Dhillon.
In the 18th century, a prominent Sikh warrior and leader named Baba Dhillon Singh played a significant role in the struggle against the Afghan invaders. He was born in the village of Dhilwan and was instrumental in organizing local resistance against the Afghans. His descendants continued to use the surname Dhillon.
Another notable figure with the surname Dhillon was Sardar Bahadur Sardar Swaran Singh Dhillon, who was born in 1887 and served as a member of the Indian Civil Service during the British Raj. He was awarded the title of "Sardar Bahadur" for his distinguished service.
In more recent times, Manjit Singh Dhillon, born in 1937, was a renowned Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He served as a member of the Indian Parliament and held various ministerial positions in the government.
Gurnam Singh Dhillon, born in 1939, was a renowned Punjabi folk singer and actor. He was widely acclaimed for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Punjabi culture through his music and performances.
Dharminder Singh Dhillon, born in 1966, is a former Indian cricketer who played for the Indian national team in the 1990s. He was known for his aggressive batting style and was part of the Indian team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
The surname Dhillon has also been documented in several historical manuscripts and records, including the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of the Sikh religion, which mentions individuals with the surname Dhillon who were part of the early Sikh community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dhillon
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhillon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dhillon 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 Dhillon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.8% · 6,540
- White3.8% · 272
- Two or more races3.1% · 222
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 113
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 31
- Black or African American0.3% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dhillon
Dhillon 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
#6,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,371
+2,303 bearers (+75.1%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 3,370 places
2020
#4,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,200
+1,829 bearers (+34.1%)
Per 100,000 2.41
Rank movement Up 1,586 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,716 | 3,068 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,346 | 5,371 | 1.82 | +2,303 bearers (+75.1%) | Up 3,370 places |
| 2020 | #4,760 | 7,200 | 2.41 | +1,829 bearers (+34.1%) | Up 1,586 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 Dhillon 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 | #6,346 | #4,760 | 25.0% |
| Count | 5,371 | 7,200 | 34.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.82 | 2.41 | 32.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dhillon bearers went from 5,371 to 7,200 (+34.1% change). The surname moved up 1,586 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,346 to #4,760.
FAQ
Dhillon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dhillon?
Name Census estimates that about 8,256 living Americans carry the surname Dhillon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,516 residents.
How common is Dhillon?
Dhillon ranks #4,760 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,200 people with the surname Dhillon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Dhillon.
Has Dhillon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dhillon went from 5,371 recorded bearers to 7,200. That is an increase of 1,829 (+34.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,346 to #4,760.
What does the Census say about the background of Dhillon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhillon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dhillon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (6,540 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dhillon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.8%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Dhillon (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 Dhillon mean?
A Jatt surname of Sikh origin, likely derived from the name of a Punjabi village or clan. 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 Dhillon (2.41 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 Americans have the surname Dhillon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.