2000
#1,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.69
Uncommon Last name
Dickinson
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Dickin, a medieval diminutive of Dick, itself a diminutive of Richard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,119 Americans carry the last name Dickinson. That puts it at #1,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,771 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dickinson 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 Dickinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,771
Census rank
#1,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,393 bearers of the surname Dickinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dickinson
The surname Dickinson is of English origin, derived from the medieval occupational name "Diccon", a diminutive of the personal name "Dick", itself a pet form of "Richard". The suffix "-son" denotes "son of", indicating that the name originated as a patronymic, referring to the son of someone named Dick or Richard.
The earliest recorded instances of the Dickinson surname date back to the late 12th century in various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Dycunson, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199.
In the 13th century, the Dickinson name appeared in several historical records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Dikynessone". The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, recorded as "Dykenessone".
The Dickinsons were prominent landowners and influential figures in various parts of England during the medieval and early modern periods. One notable Dickinson was John Dickinson (1576-1647), an English Puritan minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Westminster Assembly.
Another distinguished bearer of the name was Jonathan Dickinson (1663-1722), a Quaker merchant and the first president of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University. He was born in Massachusetts and played a crucial role in the establishment of higher education in colonial America.
In the literary realm, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), the renowned American poet, is undoubtedly one of the most famous individuals with the Dickinson surname. Her innovative poetic style and reclusive lifestyle have made her one of the most influential figures in American literature.
Other notable Dickinsons include John Dickinson (1732-1808), a founding father and one of the most prominent statesmen of the American Revolution, and Angie Dickinson (born 1931), an American actress known for her roles in films such as "Rio Bravo" and "Dressed to Kill".
The Dickinson surname has continued to be prominent throughout history, with bearers making significant contributions in various fields, including politics, education, literature, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dickinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dickinson 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 Dickinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 21,879
- Black or African American4.8% · 1,225
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,010
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 949
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 235
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 95
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dickinson
Dickinson 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
#1,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,607
+463 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 9.02
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#1,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,393
-1,214 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 8.50
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,230 | 26,144 | 9.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,324 | 26,607 | 9.02 | +463 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #1,359 | 25,393 | 8.50 | -1,214 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 35 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 Dickinson 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 | #1,324 | #1,359 | -2.6% |
| Count | 26,607 | 25,393 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.02 | 8.50 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dickinson bearers went from 26,607 to 25,393 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,324 to #1,359.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dickinson
FAQ
Dickinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dickinson?
Name Census estimates that about 29,119 living Americans carry the surname Dickinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,771 residents.
How common is Dickinson?
Dickinson ranks #1,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,393 people with the surname Dickinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Dickinson.
Has Dickinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dickinson went from 26,607 recorded bearers to 25,393. That is a decrease of 1,214 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,324 to #1,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Dickinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Dickinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (21,879 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dickinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Dickinson (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 Dickinson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Dickin, a medieval diminutive of Dick, itself a diminutive of Richard. 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 Dickinson (8.50 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 Dickinson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.