2000
#9,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Dinger
A nickname surname derived from the German word for "thing" or from the German surname Dendinger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,479 Americans carry the last name Dinger. That puts it at #10,125 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,521 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dinger 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
3.5K
1 in 98,521
Census rank
#10,125
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,034 bearers of the surname Dinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10125th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dinger
The surname "Dinger" is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Ding," which means "thing" or "object." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with or dealt in objects or goods, such as a merchant or trader.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Dinger" can be found in the town of Nuremberg, Germany, in a document from 1543. At that time, the name was spelled "Dinger." This spelling remained consistent throughout the centuries, although variations such as "Dingher" and "Dingher" were also occasionally used.
In the 17th century, the name "Dinger" appeared in several German manuscripts and records, including those from the city of Leipzig. During this period, a notable figure with this surname was Johann Dinger, a scholar and philosopher who lived from 1620 to 1689. He wrote several treatises on logic and metaphysics, which were widely read and influential in his time.
As the centuries passed, the name "Dinger" spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe. In the 19th century, a prominent individual bearing this surname was Friedrich Dinger, a German politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Saxony from 1848 to 1849.
Another notable figure with the surname "Dinger" was Max Dinger, a German artist and sculptor who lived from 1877 to 1928. He was known for his Expressionist works and was a member of the influential artists' group, Die Brücke.
In the 20th century, the name "Dinger" gained recognition in the field of science with the contributions of Hugo Dinger, a German physicist and engineer who made significant advancements in the development of radar technology. He was born in 1892 and lived until 1962.
While the surname "Dinger" originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, likely due to immigration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe, where it has a rich history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dinger 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 Dinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 2,777
- Two or more races3.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
- Black or African American0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dinger
Dinger 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
#9,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,414
+225 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#10,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,034
-380 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 601 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,371 | 3,189 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,524 | 3,414 | 1.16 | +225 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #10,125 | 3,034 | 1.02 | -380 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 601 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 Dinger 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 | #9,524 | #10,125 | -6.3% |
| Count | 3,414 | 3,034 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.02 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dinger bearers went from 3,414 to 3,034 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 601 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,524 to #10,125.
FAQ
Dinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dinger?
Name Census estimates that about 3,479 living Americans carry the surname Dinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,521 residents.
How common is Dinger?
Dinger ranks #10,125 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,034 people with the surname Dinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Dinger.
Has Dinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dinger went from 3,414 recorded bearers to 3,034. That is a decrease of 380 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,524 to #10,125.
What does the Census say about the background of Dinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Dinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,777 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Dinger (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 Dinger mean?
A nickname surname derived from the German word for "thing" or from the German surname Dendinger. 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 Dinger (1.02 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 last name Dinger?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Dinger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.