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

Dion, 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 Dion surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dion in America

Dion is the 4225th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dion surname appeared 8,395 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Dion.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dion 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 Dion

The surname Dion has its origins in France, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name Dionysius, which was the name of a Greek god of wine and fertility. The name Dionysius was also the name of several early Christian saints, including St. Denis, the patron saint of France.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Dion can be found in records from the Île-de-France region of northern France, particularly in the area around Paris. In some cases, the name was spelled as Dyon or Dion, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Dion was Jean Dion, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Didier Dion, a 16th century French scholar and author who wrote extensively on philosophy and theology.

In the 17th century, the surname Dion was associated with several prominent families in the French nobility. One of these families owned the Château de Dion in the Burgundy region, which may have contributed to the name's association with this area.

As the name spread throughout France and beyond, it was often linked to place names and locations that shared similar spellings or pronunciations. For example, the town of Dion-Valmont in Normandy may have been a source of the surname for some families.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the surname Dion have achieved notable accomplishments in various fields. These include:

1. Pierre Dion (1564-1625), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to New France and was instrumental in establishing the Catholic Church in Canada.
2. François Dion (1759-1842), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur.
3. Émile Dion (1878-1946), a French industrialist and pioneer of the automobile industry, who founded the Dion-Bouton car company in the early 20th century.
4. Céline Dion (born 1968), the world-renowned Canadian singer and songwriter, who is one of the best-selling artists of all time.
5. Stéphane Dion (born 1955), a Canadian politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and as Minister of the Environment.

While the surname Dion has its roots in France, it has since spread to many other countries around the world, carried by immigrants and their descendants. Today, it remains a prominent surname in francophone regions and beyond, with a rich history and cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dion

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

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

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

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