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

Dinsmore, 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 Dinsmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dinsmore in America

Dinsmore is the 6735th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dinsmore surname appeared 5,008 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dinsmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dinsmore 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 Dinsmore

The surname Dinsmore has its origins in the Scottish Lowlands, emerging in the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Scots Gaelic words "dìon," meaning "protection," and "mor," meaning "large" or "great." This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or near a stronghold or fortified place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Dinsmore" in this historical record, indicating its established use by the late 13th century.

The Dinsmore family is thought to have originated in the region of Renfrewshire, with the name potentially linked to the lands of Dinsmore or Dinsmuir near Paisley. This area was once part of the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde and had close ties to the Scottish royal family.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was John Dinsmore (c. 1510-1580), a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of Coldingham in Berwickshire. Another early documented individual was Alexander Dinsmore (c. 1570-1640), a landowner in Renfrewshire.

As the Dinsmore family expanded, they established branches in various parts of Scotland, as well as in Ireland and England. One prominent member was Sir Robert Dinsmore (1757-1828), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1803 to 1805.

In the literary world, William Dinsmore (1836-1888) was a Scottish poet and journalist who wrote under the pen name "Hamish Dinsmore." He is best known for his poems and articles celebrating Scottish culture and folklore.

Another notable figure was Sir John Dinsmore (1888-1966), a British architect who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the former Commonwealth Institute and the Royal Opera House.

Over the centuries, the Dinsmore surname has undergone various spellings, such as Dinsmoor, Dinsmuir, and Densmore, reflecting the linguistic and regional variations common in historical records. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in the Scottish Lowlands, where it first emerged as a symbol of protection and fortification.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dinsmore

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

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

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

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