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

Dilley, 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 Dilley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dilley in America

Dilley is the 6036th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dilley surname appeared 5,692 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dilley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dilley 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 Dilley

The surname Dilley is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "dill" meaning a valley or hollow. It is thought to have originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived in a small valley or dell.

Dilley is believed to have originated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire in the West Midlands region of England. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a Richard de la Dulle residing in Worcestershire.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Dilie, Dilly, Dille, Dillie, and Dilli. These variations can be found in various medieval records and documents such as parish registers, tax rolls, and court records.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Dilly, a merchant and alderman of the City of London in the late 16th century. He served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers in 1594 and was involved in the city's governance during a turbulent period of English history.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir Samuel Dilley (1617-1688), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. He was renowned for his legal expertise and played a crucial role in shaping English common law during the tumultuous years following the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, James Dilley (1746-1822) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Circus in Blackfriars and the Church of St. Paul in Covent Garden.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Mary Dilley (1825-1903), a British author and educator who wrote several books on the education of young children. Her works were widely influential in promoting progressive teaching methods during the Victorian era.

Lastly, one cannot discuss the Dilley surname without mentioning Sir Charles Wentworth Dilley (1889-1962), a British Army officer and military historian who served in both World Wars. His seminal work, "The Triumph of the English Language," is considered a landmark in the study of military linguistics.

While many variations of the name exist, the core Dilley surname has endured for centuries, reflecting its deep-rooted English heritage and the numerous notable individuals who have borne this distinctive surname throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dilley

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!