2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dimou
A variant spelling of a Greek surname derived from the word "dimos" meaning commune or borough.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Dimou. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dimou 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Dimou in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimou, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dimou
The surname "DIMOU" has its origins in Greece, dating back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "dimou," which translates to "people" or "public." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who held positions of public service or represented the interests of the common people.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the Monastery of Docheiariou, located on Mount Athos, Greece. A certain Dimou Kallinikos is mentioned in a manuscript dated to the 14th century, suggesting that the name was already in use during the late Byzantine period.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Republic of Venice, where a merchant named Georgios Dimou is documented as conducting trade between the Venetian territories and the Greek islands. This indicates that individuals bearing the surname had established themselves in various regions of the Mediterranean.
During the Ottoman rule over Greece, the name Dimou can be found in several tax records and census documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. These records often list the occupations of the individuals, providing insights into the professions associated with the name during that time period.
One notable figure bearing the surname Dimou was Ioannis Dimou, a Greek revolutionary who fought in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. Born in 1789 in the village of Dimitsana, Ioannis Dimou played a significant role in the uprising and is remembered as a hero of the Greek liberation movement.
Another prominent individual was Konstantinos Dimou, a Greek poet and writer who lived in the late 19th century. Born in 1876 on the island of Lesvos, Konstantinos Dimou was renowned for his lyrical poetry and contributions to modern Greek literature.
In the 20th century, the name gained further recognition with the works of the acclaimed Greek author, Nikos Dimou. Born in 1935 in Athens, Nikos Dimou is best known for his novels and short stories that explored themes of modern Greek society and the complexities of human relationships.
It is worth mentioning that the name Dimou has also been associated with various place names in Greece, such as the village of Dimou in the Peloponnese region, further reinforcing its historical roots in the country.
Throughout its history, the surname Dimou has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, revolutionaries, artists, and writers, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Greece and the significance of this name within its society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dimou
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimou, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dimou 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 Dimou surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dimou
Dimou 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+8 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,416 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 1,416 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4,871 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 Dimou 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 | #140,157 | #145,028 | -3.5% |
| Count | 119 | 116 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dimou bearers went from 119 to 116 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4,871 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,028.
FAQ
Dimou surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dimou?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Dimou. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Dimou?
Dimou ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Dimou. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Dimou.
Has Dimou become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dimou went from 119 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Dimou?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimou, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Dimou in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dimou appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Dimou (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 Dimou mean?
A variant spelling of a Greek surname derived from the word "dimos" meaning commune or borough. 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 Dimou (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 share the surname Dimou?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.