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

Dicker, 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 Dicker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dicker in America

Dicker is the 21371st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dicker surname appeared 1,225 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 Dicker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dicker 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 Dicker

The surname Dicker originated in Germany, where it first appeared in records dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "dicker," meaning "fat" or "thick." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of larger stature.

In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Diker" or "Dyker." These variations can be found in various medieval German documents, including some local parish records and court rolls from the 14th and 15th centuries.

One of the earliest known references to the name comes from the town of Dortmund, in the region of Westphalia, where a man named Heinrich Dicker is mentioned in a land deed from 1327. Another early record is that of Johannes Dicker, a merchant from the city of Cologne, whose name appears in a trade register from 1402.

The Dicker surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Dickershausen, a small village in Lower Saxony. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have derived their name from this or similar locations, rather than the descriptive nickname.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Dicker surname. One example is Christoph Dicker (1617-1678), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Brandenburg. Another is Johann Peter Dicker (1765-1838), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.

In England, the Dicker name can be traced back to the 16th century, likely introduced by German immigrants or merchants. One notable figure was Sir John Dicker (1570-1638), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1629.

The surname Dicker has also been found in other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, where it may have been introduced through migration or trade. For instance, Hans Dicker (1534-1609) was a Swiss Protestant reformer and theologian who played a role in the Reformation movement.

Throughout its history, the Dicker surname has maintained a strong presence, particularly in Germany and other German-speaking regions. While it may have evolved from a simple descriptive nickname, it has since become a respected family name with a rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dicker

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

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

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

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