2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dillenback
A locational surname referring to someone from a place named Dillenbach.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Dillenback. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dillenback 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Dillenback in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dillenback, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dillenback
The surname Dillenback is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Rhine region of Germany, specifically in the areas around Cologne and Bonn. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Dill," meaning dill or fennel, and "bach," which translates to brook or stream, suggesting a connection to a location near a stream where dill was grown.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dillenback surname appears in the church records of St. Gereon's Church in Cologne, where a Johann Dillenback was documented in 1584. This provides evidence of the name's existence and use during the late 16th century in the Rhineland region.
In the 17th century, the name can be found in various records from the Palatinate region of Germany. Notably, a Johannes Dillenbach was recorded in the village of Grunstadt in 1629. This variation in spelling, with the addition of an 'h,' highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period.
As German immigrants began to settle in North America in the 18th century, the Dillenback surname made its way across the Atlantic. One of the earliest documented instances is that of Jacob Dillenbach, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1753. This suggests that the name had already established itself in Germany before spreading to other parts of the world.
In the 19th century, several individuals bearing the Dillenback surname achieved notable recognition. Johann Friedrich Dillenbach (1791-1864) was a German theologian and author, known for his works on biblical studies and Christian doctrine. Across the ocean, William Dillenbach (1839-1912) was an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Duluth, Minnesota, from 1891 to 1893.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Dillenbach (1832-1911), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Reichstag building, which served as the home of the German parliament.
As the centuries progressed, the Dillenback name continued to spread throughout various regions, with families establishing themselves in different parts of Europe and North America. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Rhineland of Germany, its bearers have left their mark across multiple countries and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dillenback
Among Census respondents with the surname Dillenback, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dillenback 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 Dillenback surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dillenback
Dillenback 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,464 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 4,464 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 8,962 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 Dillenback 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 | #145,220 | #154,182 | -6.2% |
| Count | 114 | 103 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dillenback bearers went from 114 to 103 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 8,962 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #154,182.
FAQ
Dillenback surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dillenback?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Dillenback. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Dillenback?
Dillenback ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Dillenback. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dillenback.
Has Dillenback become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dillenback went from 114 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Dillenback?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dillenback, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dillenback in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dillenback appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dillenback (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 Dillenback mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place named Dillenbach. 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 Dillenback (0.03 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 last name Dillenback?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Dillenback, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.