2000
#2,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.11
Uncommon Last name
Dial
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of sundials or clocks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,661 Americans carry the last name Dial. That puts it at #3,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,393 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dial 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 Dial with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,393
Census rank
#3,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,169 bearers of the surname Dial in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dial, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dial
The surname Dial has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English word "dæl," which means "valley" or "dell." The name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived in or near a valley or dell.
In early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Dele, Delle, and Delle, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Dela."
The Dial surname is particularly associated with the county of Derbyshire, where it has a long-standing presence. One notable example is John Dial, born in 1622 in Derbyshire, who served as a soldier in the English Civil War.
As the surname spread across England, it took on different variations and spellings. In some areas, it was written as "Dyall" or "Dyell," possibly influenced by the word "dial," which refers to the face of a clock or sundial.
In the 16th century, a family of Dials established themselves in the city of Coventry, where they were prominent merchants and landowners. William Dial, born in 1545, was a successful wool trader and served as mayor of Coventry in 1589.
Another notable figure bearing the Dial surname was Sir Thomas Dial, born in 1660 in Somerset. He was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow in London.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dial name also gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Jonathan Dial, who was born in 1675 in Virginia and later settled in North Carolina.
In the literary world, the surname is associated with novelist and playwright Reginald Dial, born in 1892 in Liverpool. His works, such as "The Constant Nymph" and "The Green Hat," were critically acclaimed and adapted for the stage and screen.
The Dial surname has a rich history, with its origins rooted in the English countryside and its bearers leaving their mark across various fields, from military service and architecture to literature and trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dial
Among Census respondents with the surname Dial, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dial 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 Dial surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.6% · 6,973
- Black or African American11.8% · 1,202
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.9% · 904
- Two or more races4.9% · 495
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 400
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 195
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dial
Dial 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
#3,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,997
-92 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 3.73
Rank movement Down 297 places
2020
#3,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,169
-828 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 3.40
Rank movement Down 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,990 | 11,089 | 4.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,287 | 10,997 | 3.73 | -92 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 297 places |
| 2020 | #3,434 | 10,169 | 3.40 | -828 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 147 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 Dial 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 | #3,287 | #3,434 | -4.5% |
| Count | 10,997 | 10,169 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.73 | 3.40 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dial bearers went from 10,997 to 10,169 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,287 to #3,434.
FAQ
Dial surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dial?
Name Census estimates that about 11,661 living Americans carry the surname Dial. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,393 residents.
How common is Dial?
Dial ranks #3,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,169 people with the surname Dial. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,661), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Dial.
Has Dial become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dial went from 10,997 recorded bearers to 10,169. That is a decrease of 828 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,287 to #3,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Dial?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dial, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%). 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 Dial in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.6% (6,973 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dial appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.6%), Black (11.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.9%). 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 Dial (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 Dial mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of sundials or clocks. 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 Dial (3.40 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 Dial?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.