2000
#13,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,065
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Dimmick
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "dim" or "stupid," likely referring to someone considered foolish or ignorant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,102 Americans carry the last name Dimmick. That puts it at #15,406 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dimmick 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 Dimmick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,061
Census rank
#15,406
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,833 bearers of the surname Dimmick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15406th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimmick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dimmick
The surname Dimmick has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "dim" meaning "dim" or "dark" and "wic" meaning "dwelling" or "place". This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived in a dimly lit or shaded area.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Dimmick dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it appeared as "Dymok". Over time, various spellings emerged, including Dimmock, Dymock, and Dimmick.
One notable historical reference to the name Dimmick can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dimmoc". This entry suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The Dimmick surname has been associated with several places in England, including Dimmock in Gloucestershire and Dimmock in Somerset. These place names likely originated from the Old English word "dimmoc", which means "a dim or dark place".
Several individuals with the surname Dimmick have left their mark on history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Robert Dimmick (c. 1290 - 1362), a prominent English landowner and knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.
Another notable figure was William Dimmick (1516 - 1589), an English Protestant reformer and writer who played a significant role in the early days of the Church of England under Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 18th century, John Dimmick (1720 - 1802) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor who contributed to the development of precision timekeeping devices.
During the 19th century, James Dimmick (1845 - 1918) was a respected American educator and author, known for his works on teaching methods and educational philosophy.
More recently, Mary Dimmick (1924 - 2003) was a celebrated American sculptor and artist whose works are displayed in numerous public spaces and museums across the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dimmick
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimmick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dimmick 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 Dimmick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,668
- Two or more races4.0% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dimmick
Dimmick 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
#14,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,081
+16 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 865 places
2020
#15,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,833
-248 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 1,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,503 | 2,065 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,368 | 2,081 | 0.71 | +16 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 865 places |
| 2020 | #15,406 | 1,833 | 0.61 | -248 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 1,038 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 Dimmick 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 | #14,368 | #15,406 | -7.2% |
| Count | 2,081 | 1,833 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.61 | -13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dimmick bearers went from 2,081 to 1,833 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 1,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,368 to #15,406.
FAQ
Dimmick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dimmick?
Name Census estimates that about 2,102 living Americans carry the surname Dimmick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,061 residents.
How common is Dimmick?
Dimmick ranks #15,406 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,833 people with the surname Dimmick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dimmick.
Has Dimmick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dimmick went from 2,081 recorded bearers to 1,833. That is a decrease of 248 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,368 to #15,406.
What does the Census say about the background of Dimmick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimmick, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Dimmick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,668 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dimmick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Dimmick (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 Dimmick mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "dim" or "stupid," likely referring to someone considered foolish or ignorant. 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 Dimmick (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Dimmick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.