2000
#5,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,793
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.15
Rare Last name
Dibble
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of fishing spears or iron-tipped staffs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,266 Americans carry the last name Dibble. That puts it at #6,040 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,701 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dibble 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 Dibble with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,701
Census rank
#6,040
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,464 bearers of the surname Dibble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6040th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dibble, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dibble
The surname Dibble is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dibbe," meaning a small pit or hollow. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a small depression or valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Robertus Dibble is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living in various counties at that time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Dibble surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. It is likely that the name originated in one of these regions, where the geographical features and local dialects influenced the development of the name.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Dybble, Dibbell, and Dybyll, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that period. One notable figure from this era was John Dybyll, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1538 for his religious beliefs.
As the centuries progressed, the Dibble surname continued to be found throughout England, with several individuals leaving their mark on history. One such person was Sir Lewis Dibdin Dibble (1684-1761), a prominent British naval officer who served during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.
Another notable figure was Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776-1847), an English bibliographer and writer who made significant contributions to the study of rare books and manuscripts. His work, "Bibliomania, or Book-Madness," published in 1809, is considered a classic in the field of bibliophilia.
In the 19th century, the Dibble name found its way to America, where several individuals of note emerged. One such person was Shelving Rock Dibble (1809-1876), a prominent lawyer and politician from New York who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Another notable American with the Dibble surname was Arthur Brown Dibble (1859-1935), a pioneering aviator and one of the first individuals to design and build successful aircraft in the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the Dibble surname has been associated with various occupations and social strata, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who carried the name. While its origins may be humble, the name has left an indelible mark on various aspects of history, from literature and aviation to politics and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dibble
Among Census respondents with the surname Dibble, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dibble 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 Dibble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 4,833
- Two or more races3.6% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 193
- Black or African American2.9% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dibble
Dibble 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
#5,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,866
+73 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 368 places
2020
#6,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,464
-402 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,516 | 5,793 | 2.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,884 | 5,866 | 1.99 | +73 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 368 places |
| 2020 | #6,040 | 5,464 | 1.83 | -402 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 156 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 Dibble 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 | #5,884 | #6,040 | -2.7% |
| Count | 5,866 | 5,464 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.99 | 1.83 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dibble bearers went from 5,866 to 5,464 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 156 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,884 to #6,040.
FAQ
Dibble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dibble?
Name Census estimates that about 6,266 living Americans carry the surname Dibble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,701 residents.
How common is Dibble?
Dibble ranks #6,040 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.83 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 5,464 people with the surname Dibble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,266), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.83 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 Dibble.
Has Dibble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dibble went from 5,866 recorded bearers to 5,464. That is a decrease of 402 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,884 to #6,040.
What does the Census say about the background of Dibble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dibble, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Dibble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dibble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Dibble (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 Dibble mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of fishing spears or iron-tipped staffs. 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 Dibble (1.83 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 Dibble?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.