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

Dillard, 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 Dillard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dillard in America

Dillard is the 1130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dillard surname appeared 31,021 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Dillard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dillard 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 Dillard

The surname Dillard has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dill" meaning dill herb, and "gard" meaning enclosed yard or garden, essentially meaning "the enclosed yard where dill was grown."

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Aelfric Dilgerd is listed as a landowner in Norfolk, England. This early spelling variation, Dilgerd, further supports the proposed etymology of the name.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Dillard was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. Records from this period show spellings such as Dillard, Dillarde, and Dylard.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with this surname was Sir John Dillard (1522-1587), a member of the English gentry and a landowner in Essex. His descendants continued to hold prominent positions in the region for several generations.

Another early recorded instance of the name is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Dillard is mentioned in 1586.

During the 17th century, the surname Dillard spread to other parts of England, and by the late 18th century, it had also made its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest known Dillards in America was William Dillard (1688-1756), who settled in Virginia in the early 1700s.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with this surname was James Dillard (1819-1895), a Baptist minister and educator in Virginia, who founded several schools and colleges, including Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dillard throughout history include William Dillard (1914-2002), an American businessman and founder of the Dillard's department store chain, and Annie Dillard (born 1945), an American author renowned for her works such as "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" and "An American Childhood."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dillard

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

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

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

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