2000
#25,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Dieterle
A German surname derived from a diminutive form of the personal name Dietrich.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,188 Americans carry the last name Dieterle. That puts it at #25,066 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 288,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dieterle 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
1.2K
1 in 288,514
Census rank
#25,066
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,036 bearers of the surname Dieterle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25066th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dieterle, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dieterle
The surname Dieterle originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Dieter, which is a short form of the name Dietrich, meaning "people's ruler" or "leader of the people." The name Dietrich is composed of two elements: "diet" meaning "people" and "rich" meaning "ruler" or "leader."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Dieterle can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. It is believed that the name was initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who held a position of authority or leadership within their community.
In the 15th century, the name Dieterle appeared in several historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents related to the Saxon royal family. One notable figure from this time period was Johann Dieterle, a respected merchant and burgher of Nürnberg, born in 1432 and died in 1498.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Dieterle spread across various regions of Germany, with several variations in spelling, such as Dieterle, Dieterli, and Dietterle. This period saw the emergence of notable individuals bearing the name, including Georg Dieterle (1534-1601), a renowned theologian and pastor from Strasbourg.
In the 18th century, the Dieterle family established itself in the town of Sulzbach, located in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. One prominent figure from this time was Friedrich Dieterle (1728-1795), a renowned clock and watchmaker who gained recognition for his intricate timepieces.
As the centuries passed, the Dieterle name continued to spread across Germany and into neighboring countries, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of the world. One such individual was Johann Adam Dieterle (1805-1882), a German-American farmer and pioneer who settled in Ohio, United States, in the mid-19th century.
Throughout history, the surname Dieterle has been associated with various professions and occupations, including merchants, artisans, religious figures, and scholars. While the name may have evolved over time, its origins and connection to the Germanic concept of leadership and authority have remained a part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dieterle
Among Census respondents with the surname Dieterle, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dieterle 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 Dieterle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 973
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 37
- Two or more races1.4% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dieterle
Dieterle 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
#24,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,042
+147 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 1,688 places
2020
#25,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,036
-6 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 929 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,825 | 895 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,137 | 1,042 | 0.35 | +147 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 1,688 places |
| 2020 | #25,066 | 1,036 | 0.35 | -6 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 929 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 Dieterle 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 | #24,137 | #25,066 | -3.8% |
| Count | 1,042 | 1,036 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.35 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dieterle bearers went from 1,042 to 1,036 (-0.6% change). The surname moved down 929 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,137 to #25,066.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dieterle
FAQ
Dieterle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dieterle?
Name Census estimates that about 1,188 living Americans carry the surname Dieterle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 288,514 residents.
How common is Dieterle?
Dieterle ranks #25,066 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 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 1,036 people with the surname Dieterle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 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 Dieterle.
Has Dieterle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dieterle went from 1,042 recorded bearers to 1,036. That is a decrease of 6 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,137 to #25,066.
What does the Census say about the background of Dieterle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dieterle, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Dieterle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (973 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dieterle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Dieterle (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 Dieterle mean?
A German surname derived from a diminutive form of the personal name Dietrich. 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 Dieterle (0.35 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 Americans have the surname Dieterle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.