2000
#1,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,181
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.74
Uncommon Last name
Dickens
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near a ditch or dyke.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,554 Americans carry the last name Dickens. That puts it at #2,066 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dickens 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 Dickens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,529
Census rank
#2,066
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,052 bearers of the surname Dickens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2066th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickens, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dickens
The surname DICKENS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a patronymic surname, derived from the male given name Richard, which was a popular name among the Normans after the conquest of England in 1066. The name Richard itself is believed to have come from the Germanic words "ric" meaning "ruler" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy".
The earliest known spelling variations of the surname DICKENS include Dykkyn, Dikken, Diken, and Dykyn, which can be found in various records dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. These early spellings suggest that the name may have originally been a nickname or diminutive form of Richard, such as "Dickon" or "Dicken".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DICKENS can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1296, where a certain John Diken is mentioned. Another early record is from the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which lists a William Dykkyn.
The surname DICKENS is also associated with various place names in England, such as Dickens Heath in Solihull and Dickens Lane in Poynton, Cheshire. These place names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the surname DICKENS who once lived or owned land in those areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname DICKENS, including:
1. Geoffrey Dickens (c. 1449 - 1521), an English clergyman and diplomat who served as the Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VII.
2. John Dickens (1785 - 1851), the father of the famous author Charles Dickens, who worked as a clerk in the Navy Pay Office.
3. Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870), the renowned English novelist known for works such as "Oliver Twist," "A Christmas Carol," and "Great Expectations."
4. Walter Dexter Dickens (1846 - 1916), an English-born Australian politician who served as the 15th Premier of Queensland.
5. Monica Dickens (1915 - 1992), a British novelist and great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, best known for her autobiographical works and stories of nursing during World War II.
The surname DICKENS has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in England. While its origins are rooted in the given name Richard, the surname has evolved and been associated with various place names and notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dickens
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickens, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dickens 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 Dickens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.3% · 10,449
- Black or African American29.8% · 5,074
- Two or more races4.5% · 769
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 560
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 127
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 73
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dickens
Dickens 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
#1,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,123
-58 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 6.14
Rank movement Down 176 places
2020
#2,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,052
-1,071 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 5.70
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,814 | 18,181 | 6.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,990 | 18,123 | 6.14 | -58 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 176 places |
| 2020 | #2,066 | 17,052 | 5.70 | -1,071 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 76 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 Dickens 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 | #1,990 | #2,066 | -3.8% |
| Count | 18,123 | 17,052 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 6.14 | 5.70 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dickens bearers went from 18,123 to 17,052 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,990 to #2,066.
FAQ
Dickens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dickens?
Name Census estimates that about 19,554 living Americans carry the surname Dickens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,529 residents.
How common is Dickens?
Dickens ranks #2,066 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,052 people with the surname Dickens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,554), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Dickens.
Has Dickens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dickens went from 18,123 recorded bearers to 17,052. That is a decrease of 1,071 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,990 to #2,066.
What does the Census say about the background of Dickens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickens, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Dickens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.3% (10,449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dickens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.3%), Black (29.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Dickens (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 Dickens mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near a ditch or dyke. 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 Dickens (5.70 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 are called Dickens?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dickens on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.