2000
#6,750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,602
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.71
Rare Last name
Dillingham
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Dilla's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,168 Americans carry the last name Dillingham. That puts it at #7,141 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,322 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dillingham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dillingham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,322
Census rank
#7,141
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,507 bearers of the surname Dillingham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7141st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dillingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dillingham
The surname Dillingham has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the parish of Dillington in Somersetshire. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "dill" meaning "dill" or "meadow", and "tun" meaning "farm" or "enclosure".
Records show that a William de Dylyngton was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Somersetshire in 1188. The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions a manor called "Dyllingetun" in the same county, suggesting the name's deep roots in the region.
Over the centuries, the name has appeared in various spellings, including Dyllington, Dylyngton, and Dyllyngton, before settling on the modern form of Dillingham. In the 13th century, a Roger de Dyllyngton was recorded as a landowner in the county of Wiltshire.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name was John Dillingham, a 16th-century English clergyman and author. Born in 1529, he served as the Dean of Chester Cathedral and wrote several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.
During the English Civil War, a Dillingham family from Lincolnshire was known for their support of the Parliamentarian cause. Sir Robert Dillingham (1598-1670) was a prominent member of this family and served as a colonel in the Parliamentarian army.
In the 18th century, William Dillingham (1718-1789) was a noted English painter and engraver, known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various collections, including the British Museum.
Another notable figure was Charles Dillingham (1868-1934), an American theatre manager and producer. He was responsible for producing several successful Broadway shows, including the Ziegfeld Follies and the musical comedy "Sunny".
Across the Atlantic, the surname Dillingham has been present in the United States since the early colonial era. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Edward Dillingham, who settled in Massachusetts in the 1630s and became a prominent landowner and politician.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dillingham
Among Census respondents with the surname Dillingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dillingham 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 Dillingham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.6% · 3,453
- Black or African American12.8% · 578
- Two or more races5.2% · 234
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 176
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dillingham
Dillingham 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
#6,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,791
+189 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 245 places
2020
#7,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,507
-284 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,750 | 4,602 | 1.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,995 | 4,791 | 1.62 | +189 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 245 places |
| 2020 | #7,141 | 4,507 | 1.51 | -284 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 146 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 Dillingham 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 | #6,995 | #7,141 | -2.1% |
| Count | 4,791 | 4,507 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.51 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dillingham bearers went from 4,791 to 4,507 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,995 to #7,141.
FAQ
Dillingham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dillingham?
Name Census estimates that about 5,168 living Americans carry the surname Dillingham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,322 residents.
How common is Dillingham?
Dillingham ranks #7,141 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,507 people with the surname Dillingham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Dillingham.
Has Dillingham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dillingham went from 4,791 recorded bearers to 4,507. That is a decrease of 284 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,995 to #7,141.
What does the Census say about the background of Dillingham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dillingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Dillingham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.6% (3,453 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dillingham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.6%), Black (12.8%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Dillingham (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 Dillingham mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Dilla's people" in Old English. 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 Dillingham (1.51 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 are called Dillingham?
You can see how many people have the surname Dillingham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.