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

Dickerson, 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 Dickerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dickerson in America

Dickerson is the 659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dickerson surname appeared 51,889 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname Dickerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dickerson 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 Dickerson

The surname Dickerson is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Richard, which originated from the Old German name Ricard, meaning "powerful" and "brave". The suffix "-son" was commonly added to personal names to indicate "son of".

Dickerson is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where it appears as Richardesone. Similar spellings such as Dickerson, Dicerson, and Dickarson were also used in various regions of England during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, the Dickerson name was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record of landowners and tenants. This suggests that the family had established roots in different parts of England by that time.

A notable early bearer of the name was John Dickerson, a merchant and alderman of the City of London, who lived in the late 14th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Dickerson, a member of Parliament for the borough of Hertford in the late 16th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dickerson surname was often associated with the village of Dickerson, located in the county of Lancashire. It is believed that the village derived its name from the family, further solidifying the connection between the surname and the region.

In the 18th century, William Dickerson (1719-1792) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from London. His innovative designs and contributions to the field of horology earned him recognition among his contemporaries.

Another notable Dickerson was James Dickerson (1825-1901), a British trade unionist and politician who played a significant role in the early labor movement. He served as the President of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and was elected to the House of Commons in 1885.

Throughout its history, the Dickerson surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and military personnel. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, continuing its legacy across generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dickerson

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

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

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

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