2000
#13,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Dilbeck
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dell stream" or "valley stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,191 Americans carry the last name Dilbeck. That puts it at #14,878 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dilbeck 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
2.2K
1 in 156,437
Census rank
#14,878
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,911 bearers of the surname Dilbeck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14878th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dilbeck, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dilbeck
The surname Dilbeck is of English origin and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Staffordshire, England, specifically from the area known as Dilbuck or Dilbeck. This place name itself is derived from the Old English words "dil," meaning a valley or dell, and "bece," which means a brook or stream.
Records from the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, mention a place called "Dilbucke" in Staffordshire. This is likely one of the earliest written references to the name and its geographic origins.
The first recorded instance of the surname Dilbeck appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where a certain Robert de Dilbeck is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already become established as a surname by the late 12th century.
In the 14th century, a William Dilbeck is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327. This record indicates that the surname had spread beyond its original area and was being used more widely within the county.
One notable figure bearing the surname Dilbeck was John Dilbeck, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Staffordshire during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and owned several estates in the county.
Another individual of historical significance was Sir Thomas Dilbeck, a military officer who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He was born in Staffordshire in 1610 and fought on the Parliamentarian side, rising to the rank of Colonel.
In the 18th century, a certain Robert Dilbeck, born in 1725, was a notable scholar and educator who served as the headmaster of a prestigious grammar school in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
The surname Dilbeck also has connections to the village of Dilbeck, which is located within the parish of Rolleston-on-Dove in Staffordshire. This village likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.
Historical records and references indicate that while the surname Dilbeck originated in Staffordshire, it eventually spread to other parts of England, particularly the neighboring counties of Derbyshire and Warwickshire, where it can still be found today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dilbeck
Among Census respondents with the surname Dilbeck, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dilbeck 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 Dilbeck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 1,700
- Two or more races5.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dilbeck
Dilbeck 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
#14,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,120
-16 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,043 places
2020
#14,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,911
-209 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 710 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,125 | 2,136 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,168 | 2,120 | 0.72 | -16 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 1,043 places |
| 2020 | #14,878 | 1,911 | 0.64 | -209 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 710 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 Dilbeck 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 | #14,168 | #14,878 | -5.0% |
| Count | 2,120 | 1,911 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.64 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dilbeck bearers went from 2,120 to 1,911 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 710 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,168 to #14,878.
FAQ
Dilbeck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dilbeck?
Name Census estimates that about 2,191 living Americans carry the surname Dilbeck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,437 residents.
How common is Dilbeck?
Dilbeck ranks #14,878 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,911 people with the surname Dilbeck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,191), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dilbeck.
Has Dilbeck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dilbeck went from 2,120 recorded bearers to 1,911. That is a decrease of 209 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,168 to #14,878.
What does the Census say about the background of Dilbeck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dilbeck, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Dilbeck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (1,700 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dilbeck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Dilbeck (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 Dilbeck mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dell stream" or "valley stream." 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 Dilbeck (0.64 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 Dilbeck?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.