2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dieli
An occupational surname derived from Italian meaning one who dyes fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Dieli. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dieli 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Dieli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dieli, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dieli
The surname DIELI originates from Italy, specifically the region of Sicily. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "dielli," which means "two suns" or "two days."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name DIELI can be found in a document from the city of Palermo, dated 1387. This document references a family with the surname DIELI residing in the area. It is possible that the name was initially associated with a family crest or coat of arms featuring two suns or a sun-related symbol.
During the Renaissance period, the name DIELI appears in various records and manuscripts from Sicily. In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Giovanni DIELI (1512-1582) was a renowned painter and sculptor from the city of Messina. His works can still be found in several churches and galleries across Sicily.
In the 17th century, the DIELI family gained prominence in the town of Noto, which was known for its beautiful baroque architecture. One notable member was Giuseppe DIELI (1630-1702), a renowned architect who contributed to the reconstruction of Noto after a devastating earthquake in 1693.
Moving into the 18th century, a significant figure was Antonio DIELI (1728-1804), a respected lawyer and judge from Palermo. He played a crucial role in the legal system during the transition from Spanish to Bourbon rule in Sicily.
Another notable individual was Maria DIELI (1856-1928), a writer and poet from Catania. She was known for her literary works celebrating Sicilian culture and traditions. Her poetry collections were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
Throughout its history, the surname DIELI has been associated with various places in Sicily, such as Palermo, Messina, Noto, and Catania. The name has also been spelled in slightly different variations, such as DIELLI or DELI, but DIELI remains the most common spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dieli
Among Census respondents with the surname Dieli, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dieli 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 Dieli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dieli
Dieli 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+12 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,541 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-23 bearers (-17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,110 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 1,541 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.6%) | Down 21,110 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 Dieli 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 | #129,825 | #150,935 | -16.3% |
| Count | 131 | 108 | -17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dieli bearers went from 131 to 108 (-17.6% change). The surname moved down 21,110 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #150,935.
FAQ
Dieli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dieli?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Dieli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Dieli?
Dieli ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Dieli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dieli.
Has Dieli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dieli went from 131 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 23 (-17.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Dieli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dieli, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Dieli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dieli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (6.5%), Black (1.9%). 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 Dieli (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 Dieli mean?
An occupational surname derived from Italian meaning one who dyes fabric. 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 Dieli (0.04 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 Dieli?
Want to know how common the surname Dieli is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.