2010
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dinowitz
A surname possibly derived from a Polish place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dinowitz. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dinowitz 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Dinowitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dinowitz
The surname DINOWITZ has its origins in the Yiddish language, derived from the Hebrew name "David". It is believed to have originated among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of Poland and Ukraine, during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The name is likely a combination of the Hebrew name "David" and the Yiddish diminutive suffix "-itz", which was commonly used to create patronymic surnames. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were descendants or relatives of someone named David.
While there are no known historical references to the name DINOWITZ in ancient manuscripts or records, it is possible that early variations of the name appeared in local community records or synagogue documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in Eastern Europe. However, due to the tumultuous history of the region, many such records may have been lost or destroyed over time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DINOWITZ was Rabbi Yitzchak DINOWITZ, who lived in the town of Berdichev, Ukraine, in the late 18th century. He was a prominent scholar and teacher within the Jewish community of that time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Shmuel DINOWITZ, a philanthropist and businessman who lived in Warsaw, Poland, in the mid-19th century. He was known for his charitable contributions to various Jewish causes and institutions.
In the early 20th century, a man named Avraham DINOWITZ immigrated to the United States from Poland and settled in New York City. He established a successful textile business and became a respected member of the local Jewish community.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname DINOWITZ was Dr. Herman DINOWITZ, a renowned medical researcher and professor who lived from 1902 to 1978. He made significant contributions to the study of infectious diseases and was widely published in his field.
Lastly, a notable contemporary figure with the DINOWITZ surname is Jeffrey DINOWITZ, a politician and member of the New York State Assembly, representing the Bronx since 1994. He has been a vocal advocate for various social and educational issues in his district.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dinowitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dinowitz 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 Dinowitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Black or African American5.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dinowitz
Dinowitz 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 11,484 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 Dinowitz 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 | #129,825 | #141,309 | -8.8% |
| Count | 131 | 121 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dinowitz bearers went from 131 to 121 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 11,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dinowitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dinowitz?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dinowitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dinowitz?
Dinowitz ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Dinowitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Dinowitz.
Has Dinowitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dinowitz went from 131 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dinowitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dinowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Dinowitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dinowitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Black (5.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Dinowitz (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 Dinowitz mean?
A surname possibly derived from a Polish place name or occupation. 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 Dinowitz (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 many Americans have the surname Dinowitz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.