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

Dillon, 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 Dillon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dillon in America

Dillon is the 683rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dillon surname appeared 50,465 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Dillon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dillon 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 Dillon

The surname Dillon has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged in the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Diolúin, which means "descendant of the grandson of Diolún." Diolún is a diminutive of the Irish word díol, meaning "payment" or "debt."

The Dillon family was among the Fourteen Tribes of Galway, a group of wealthy merchant families who held considerable power and influence in the city of Galway during the Middle Ages. The name first appeared in records in County Mayo, where the Dillons were a branch of the powerful Ó Conchubhair (O'Conor) dynasty.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Conchobar Ó Diolúin in the year 1233. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a collection of administrative records from the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Dillons established themselves as Lords of Kilkenny West in County Westmeath. Notable members of the family from this period include Sir Henry Dillon (d. 1397), who served as Chief Governor of Ireland, and James Dillon (d. 1455), who was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

During the Tudor period, the Dillons played a significant role in Irish history. Gerald Dillon (1470-1538), known as the "Great Gerald," was a prominent figure in the Silken Thomas Rebellion against the English Crown. Another notable member of the family was Theobald Dillon (1530-1592), a Catholic martyr who was executed for his faith during the reign of Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Arthur Dillon (1670-1733) became a distinguished military commander in the service of France, rising to the rank of Marshal of France. His son, Théobald Dillon (1694-1777), also served in the French army and was created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire.

The 18th century saw the rise of John Dillon (1739-1809), a prominent Irish patriot and member of the United Irishmen. His son, John Blake Dillon (1814-1866), was a noted Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament who advocated for Irish independence.

Throughout its history, the surname Dillon has been associated with numerous prominent figures across various fields, including politics, military service, and literature. The name remains widely distributed in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Mayo, Westmeath, and Galway.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dillon

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

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

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

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