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

Dick, 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 Dick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dick in America

Dick is the 1718th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dick surname appeared 20,923 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Dick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dick 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 Dick

The surname DICK is of English origin, derived from the medieval English nickname "Dick" which was a pet form of the name Richard. The name Richard itself is derived from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning power and "hard" meaning brave or hardy.

The earliest recorded use of the surname DICK dates back to the late 12th century, with a reference to a William Dic in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. Other early records include a Henry Dik listed in the Assize Court Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221, and a John Dyck mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The DICK surname is believed to have originated in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire, as evidenced by the early records mentioned above. Over time, the name spread to other regions of the country.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners and tenants in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname DICK. However, the name Richard, from which DICK is derived, appears frequently, suggesting that the nickname and eventual surname may have emerged shortly after the Norman Conquest.

Notable individuals with the surname DICK throughout history include:

1. Sir William Dick (1580-1655), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure.

2. Thomas Dick (1772-1857), a Scottish scientist, philosopher, and writer best known for his works on astronomy and Christian philosophy.

3. Robert Dick (1811-1866), a Scottish baker and amateur naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of geology and botany in his local area.

4. Sir Michael Dick (1831-1918), a British civil engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Mersey Railway in Liverpool.

5. Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (1869-1924), an American architect born as Bertram Grosvenor Dick, known for designing notable buildings such as the Nebraska State Capitol and the Los Angeles Central Library.

The surname DICK has also been associated with various place names, such as Dickleburgh in Norfolk, England, and Dicken Green in Hertfordshire, England, although the exact connections between these places and the surname are not entirely clear.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dick

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

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

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

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