2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dimeler
A surname likely derived from a place name or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Dimeler. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dimeler 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Dimeler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dimeler
The surname Dimeler has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Low German word "dimel," which means "twilight" or "dusk." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked during the evening hours or lived in an area known for its picturesque sunsets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dimeler can be found in the parish records of a small village near Cologne, dating back to 1587. In these records, a certain Johannes Dimeler is mentioned as a local farmer and landowner. It is possible that this Johannes Dimeler was among the first to bear the surname in its modern spelling.
By the 17th century, the Dimeler name had spread to other regions of Germany, with various spellings emerging, such as Dimmler, Dimmeler, and Diemler. These variations likely arose due to regional dialectal differences and the inconsistencies in recordkeeping during that era.
One notable figure with the surname Dimeler was Hans Dimeler, a skilled woodcarver who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late 16th century. His intricate carvings adorned many of the town's historic buildings and churches, and several of his works are still on display in local museums.
Another individual of historical significance was Karl Dimeler (1765-1832), a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Heidelberg. Dimeler made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was among the first to accurately calculate the orbits of several comets.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Dimeler family migrated to the United States, settling in the Midwest. One of the earliest recorded immigrants was Johann Dimeler, who arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1848. His descendants went on to establish successful farming operations in various parts of the region.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Dimeler (1878-1956), a German-born architect who designed several iconic buildings in Chicago, including the now-demolished Dimeler Tower, which was once a prominent landmark in the city's skyline.
While the surname Dimeler is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries. Its origins can be traced back to the twilight hours of medieval Germany, and its bearers have left their mark in various fields, from woodcarving and astronomy to architecture and agriculture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dimeler
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dimeler 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 Dimeler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dimeler
Dimeler 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+2 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,796 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-19 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 6,796 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 17,396 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 Dimeler 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 | #135,593 | #152,989 | -12.8% |
| Count | 124 | 105 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dimeler bearers went from 124 to 105 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 17,396 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #152,989.
FAQ
Dimeler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dimeler?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Dimeler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Dimeler?
Dimeler ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Dimeler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dimeler.
Has Dimeler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dimeler went from 124 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Dimeler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Dimeler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dimeler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Dimeler (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 Dimeler mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or location. 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 Dimeler (0.04 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 surname Dimeler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.