2000
#7,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,411
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Dickenson
Derived from the given name Richard or Dick, combined with the patronymic suffix -son, meaning "son of Dick."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,817 Americans carry the last name Dickenson. That puts it at #7,608 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,155 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dickenson 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 Dickenson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,155
Census rank
#7,608
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,201 bearers of the surname Dickenson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7608th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dickenson
The surname Dickenson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the given name Dick, which is a diminutive form of Richard. The suffix "-son" was commonly added to given names to denote "son of."
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Dickenson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mention a Robert Dikesone in Lincolnshire. This early spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
In the 14th century, the Dickenson surname appears in various historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which list a Johannes Diksonson. This record suggests the surname may have originated or been particularly prevalent in Yorkshire.
The Dickinson surname, a variant spelling, can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, a Thomas Dicun is recorded, which could be an early form of the surname.
One notable figure in history bearing the Dickenson surname was John Dickenson, an English clergyman born in 1576. He served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1619 until his death in 1633.
Another historical figure was Edmund Dickenson, a 17th-century English lawyer and author. He was born in 1624 and became a prominent writer on constitutional law and the rights of Parliament.
In the 18th century, John Dickenson, born in 1732, was a influential American politician and revolutionary leader. He played a significant role in the American Revolution and was known as the "Penman of the Revolution."
Another individual of note was Philemon Dickenson, born in 1788, who served as a Judge in New Jersey and was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement in the United States.
Lastly, Reverend Jeremiah Dickenson, born in 1753, was a Methodist preacher and missionary who helped establish several churches in Virginia and North Carolina during the late 18th century.
These historical figures and records demonstrate the widespread use and variations of the Dickenson surname throughout different regions and time periods, reflecting its English origins and patronymic roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dickenson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dickenson 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 Dickenson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 3,347
- Black or African American9.0% · 380
- Two or more races4.2% · 177
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 166
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dickenson
Dickenson 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
#7,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,575
+164 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 277 places
2020
#7,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,201
-374 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 325 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,006 | 4,411 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,283 | 4,575 | 1.55 | +164 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 277 places |
| 2020 | #7,608 | 4,201 | 1.41 | -374 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 325 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 Dickenson 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 | #7,283 | #7,608 | -4.5% |
| Count | 4,575 | 4,201 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.41 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dickenson bearers went from 4,575 to 4,201 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 325 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,283 to #7,608.
FAQ
Dickenson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dickenson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,817 living Americans carry the surname Dickenson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,155 residents.
How common is Dickenson?
Dickenson ranks #7,608 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,201 people with the surname Dickenson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,817), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dickenson.
Has Dickenson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dickenson went from 4,575 recorded bearers to 4,201. That is a decrease of 374 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,283 to #7,608.
What does the Census say about the background of Dickenson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Dickenson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (3,347 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dickenson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Black (9.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Dickenson (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 Dickenson mean?
Derived from the given name Richard or Dick, combined with the patronymic suffix -son, meaning "son of Dick." 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 Dickenson (1.41 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 have the surname Dickenson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.