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

Dineen, 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 Dineen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dineen in America

Dineen is the 10434th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dineen surname appeared 3,083 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dineen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dineen 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 Dineen

The surname DINEEN is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Duinnín, which originated in County Kerry, Ireland. It is derived from the Irish word "donn," meaning brown or dark-colored, and the diminutive suffix "-ín," often used to indicate physical characteristics or traits.

The DINEEN name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records showing the clan holding lands in the Iveragh Peninsula of County Kerry. The name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions several members of the Ó Duinnín family.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the DINEEN surname was Dermot O'Duinnin, who was mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1244. Another notable figure was Conor O'Duinnin, a prominent poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century and was praised for his knowledge of Irish language and literature.

In the 17th century, the DINEEN name was anglicized to its current spelling, likely due to the influence of English rule in Ireland. During this period, many DINEEN families were involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and subsequent wars, leading to the confiscation of their lands by English forces.

Over the centuries, the DINEEN name has been associated with various locations in County Kerry, such as Dingle, Caherdaniel, and Valentia Island. Placenames like Baile an Duinnínigh (Dinneen's Town) and Gleann an Duinnínigh (Dinneen's Glen) reflect the presence of the DINEEN clan in these areas.

One of the most famous individuals with the DINEEN surname was Patrick S. Dinneen (1860-1934), a renowned Irish lexicographer and scholar. He compiled the renowned "Dinneen's Irish-English Dictionary," which became a standard reference work for the Irish language.

Other notable individuals with the DINEEN surname include:

1. John J. Dinneen (1920-2000), an American judge and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
2. Maureen Dineen (born 1953), an American author and journalist known for her novels and children's books.
3. Michael Dineen (1921-2001), an Irish hurler who played for the Cork senior hurling team and won several All-Ireland medals.
4. William J. Dinneen (1921-1987), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1964 to 1969.
5. Patrick Dinneen (1895-1977), an Irish Capuchin friar and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Capuchin Order in Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dineen

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

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

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

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