2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dinnall
A surname possibly derived from a habitational source referring to someone from the English place name Dinnall.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 217 Americans carry the last name Dinnall. That puts it at #101,718 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,579,513 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dinnall 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
217
1 in 1,579,513
Census rank
#101,718
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
189
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 189 bearers of the surname Dinnall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 101718th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinnall, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dinnall
The surname Dinnall has its origins in northern England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "dyne," meaning a hill or a valley, and "halh," referring to a remote or secluded place. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, describing someone who lived in a remote or secluded valley or hill area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dinnall name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests, Extents, and Feudal Aids from the 13th century, where it appears as "de Dynhall." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific place called Dynhall or a similar name.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, Yorkshire, as "Dynall." This record dates back to 1543 and provides evidence of the surname's presence in the northern counties of England during that time period.
Notable individuals with the Dinnall surname include Robert Dinnall, a merchant from Yorkshire who was active in the late 16th century. Another early record is that of William Dinnall, born in 1645 in Northamptonshire, who was a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 18th century, John Dinnall (1732-1799) was a respected farmer and landowner in Westmorland, while Thomas Dinnall (1760-1828) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Lancashire. His work in horology and mechanical engineering earned him recognition during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, one noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Dinnall (1810-1892), a pioneering educator who founded several schools for underprivileged children in the city of Manchester. Her efforts in promoting education and improving the lives of disadvantaged youth were widely acknowledged.
While the Dinnall surname is not among the most common in England, its roots can be traced back several centuries, with a concentration in the northern counties. The name's origins are closely tied to the geography and landscape of the region, reflecting the settlement patterns and occupations of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dinnall
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinnall, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dinnall 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 Dinnall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.2% · 163
- Two or more races6.9% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 8
- White2.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dinnall
Dinnall 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
-11 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 15,025 places
2020
#101,718
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 189
+54 bearers (+40.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 25,047 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | -11 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 15,025 places |
| 2020 | #101,718 | 189 | 0.06 | +54 bearers (+40.0%) | Up 25,047 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 Dinnall 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 | #101,718 | 19.8% |
| Count | 135 | 189 | 40.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 26.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dinnall bearers went from 135 to 189 (+40.0% change). The surname moved up 25,047 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #101,718.
FAQ
Dinnall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dinnall?
Name Census estimates that about 217 living Americans carry the surname Dinnall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,579,513 residents.
How common is Dinnall?
Dinnall ranks #101,718 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 189 people with the surname Dinnall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Dinnall.
Has Dinnall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dinnall went from 135 recorded bearers to 189. That is an increase of 54 (+40.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #126,765 to #101,718.
What does the Census say about the background of Dinnall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinnall, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dinnall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dinnall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.2%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Dinnall (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 Dinnall mean?
A surname possibly derived from a habitational source referring to someone from the English place name Dinnall. 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 Dinnall (0.06 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 surname Dinnall?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.