2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dininny
A Scottish surname derived from a place name signifying an elevated location or ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Dininny. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dininny 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Dininny in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dininny, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dininny
The surname Dininny is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots dating back to the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "duinnínidh," which means "a small, dark-complexioned person."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, a collection of legal documents from the late 16th century. These records mention a "Dermot Dininny" who was granted land in County Westmeath, Ireland.
In the early 17th century, the Dininny surname also appeared in the Petty Census of Ireland, which was a survey commissioned by Sir William Petty to document the population of Ireland at that time. This census provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during that era.
The name Dininny is often associated with certain areas of Ireland, particularly counties like Westmeath, Longford, and Cavan, where it is believed to have originated and been most concentrated. Some variations of the spelling include Dunninny, Dunniny, and Dunniny.
Notably, the Dininny surname has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Brian Dininny, a prominent Irish poet and playwright who lived in the late 17th century. His works, though now largely forgotten, were celebrated during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Michael Dininny, a Irish rebel and soldier who fought in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was born in County Westmeath in 1772 and played a significant role in the uprising against British rule.
In the 19th century, Patrick Dininny, born in 1832, was a prominent figure in the Irish Catholic Church. He served as a priest and later became the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, a diocese in Ireland.
The Dininny surname also appears in historical records related to land ownership and property transactions. For instance, the Dininny family was recorded as holding lands in County Longford in the 18th century, according to the Landed Estates Court Rentals.
Another noteworthy individual was Bridget Dininny, born in 1795 in County Cavan. She was a renowned Irish folk singer and storyteller, known for preserving and sharing traditional songs and tales from the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dininny
Among Census respondents with the surname Dininny, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dininny 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 Dininny surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dininny
Dininny appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-21 bearers (-16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-16.9%) | Down 18,589 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 Dininny 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 | #135,593 | #154,182 | -13.7% |
| Count | 124 | 103 | -16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dininny bearers went from 124 to 103 (-16.9% change). The surname moved down 18,589 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #154,182.
FAQ
Dininny surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dininny?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Dininny. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Dininny?
Dininny ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Dininny. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dininny.
Has Dininny become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dininny went from 124 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Dininny?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dininny, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Dininny in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dininny appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Dininny (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 Dininny mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name signifying an elevated location or ridge. 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 Dininny (0.03 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 are called Dininny?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Dininny is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.