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

Dials, 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 Dials surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dials in America

Dials is the 21672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dials surname appeared 1,202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dials.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dials 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 Dials

The surname "DIALS" is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "dæl," which means a portion or share of land. It is possible that the name was initially given to someone who lived on or owned a portion of land.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Dials, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. Another early record is that of William Dials, who appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. These ancient records provide valuable insights into the early history and distribution of the surname.

The name "DIALS" is also found in various place names throughout England, such as Dialshill in Worcestershire and Dialstone in Devon. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time, including Dials, Dialls, Dialles, and Dyalls.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332, where a Thomas Dials was recorded. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1377 also mention a John Dials.

Notable individuals with the surname "DIALS" throughout history include Sir John Dials (1570-1628), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. Another notable figure was William Dials (1685-1749), a prominent English merchant and landowner in Virginia, USA.

Other individuals of note include Mary Dials (1723-1802), a British author and poet, and Samuel Dials (1788-1865), an English theologian and scholar who wrote extensively on biblical studies.

John Dials (1810-1879) was a British artist known for his landscape paintings, while James Dials (1845-1924) was a successful industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Dials Foundation, which supported educational initiatives in his hometown.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dials

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

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 Dials 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 Dials 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 Dials was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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