2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dimsey
An English surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Dimsy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Dimsey. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dimsey 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Dimsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dimsey
The surname DIMSEY originated in England during the medieval period, derived from a place name in the county of Gloucestershire. The earliest known spelling of the name was "de Dynmesey", which appeared in the Pipe Rolls of 1189, referring to a landholder from the village of Dimsey, near Cirencester.
The name Dimsey itself is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dyn" meaning hill, and "mæse" meaning meadow, indicating the topographical location of the original settlement. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Dymmesye, Dymseye, and Dimsie, before settling on the modern form of DIMSEY.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Roger de Dynmesey, a minor landowner mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Gloucestershire in 1273. Another historical reference can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275, where a Walter de Dymmeseye is listed as a resident of the village.
In the 14th century, a John Dymmesye was recorded as a freeman of the City of London in 1374, indicating the gradual spread of the name beyond its rural origins. During the same period, a Thomas Dimseye (born c. 1320) served as a clerk and scribe in the Chancery of King Edward III.
Moving into the Renaissance period, a notable figure was William Dimsey (1525-1589), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He was a prominent member of the Society of Merchant Venturers and served as Mayor of Bristol in 1572.
Another individual of note was Richard Dimsey (1671-1741), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire. He published several theological works and was known for his efforts in promoting education in his parish.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Sir John Dimsey (1812-1892), a British diplomat and politician. He served as the Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1858 to 1865 and later represented the constituency of Sunderland in the House of Commons.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dimsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dimsey 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 Dimsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dimsey
Dimsey 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+18 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,349 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-25 bearers (-18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,681 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 6,349 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.5%) | Down 22,681 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 Dimsey 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 | #126,765 | #149,446 | -17.9% |
| Count | 135 | 110 | -18.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -26.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dimsey bearers went from 135 to 110 (-18.5% change). The surname moved down 22,681 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #149,446.
FAQ
Dimsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dimsey?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Dimsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Dimsey?
Dimsey ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Dimsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Dimsey.
Has Dimsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dimsey went from 135 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 25 (-18.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Dimsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dimsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Dimsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dimsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Hispanic (11.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Dimsey (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 Dimsey mean?
An English surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Dimsy. 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 Dimsey (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 common is the surname Dimsey?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Dimsey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.