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

Dirton, 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 Dirton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dirton in America

Dirton is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dirton surname appeared 162 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dirton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dirton 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 Dirton

The surname Dirton has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dyreton," which referred to a small farm or village located near a gate or entrance. This name likely originated in rural areas where such settlements were common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dirton can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted in 1086 under the reign of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Aelfric de Dyreton, indicating the presence of the surname in the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, variations of the name began to appear in various records across different counties in England. For instance, the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230 mention a John de Dyrton, while the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1246 record a William de Dirtone.

Interestingly, the surname Dirton shares similarities with certain place names in England, such as Durton in Somerset and Dyrton in Gloucestershire. It is possible that the name originated from one of these locations or that the places were named after early bearers of the surname.

One notable individual with the surname Dirton was Sir William Dirton (c. 1350-1412), a prominent landowner and knight from Wiltshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted for his military service during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, a prominent family bearing the Dirton name emerged in Oxfordshire. Thomas Dirton (1525-1587) was a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to play a role in the local affairs of the county for several generations.

Another individual of note was John Dirton (1620-1692), a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-17th century. He served as a pastor in several congregations and was known for his influential sermons and writings.

The Dirton surname also has a connection to the literary world through Elizabeth Dirton (1775-1842), an English author and poet. Her collection of poems, titled "Reflections on Nature," received critical acclaim during her lifetime.

Lastly, in the 19th century, a prominent figure named Charles Dirton (1825-1902) made significant contributions to the field of engineering. He was instrumental in the construction of several railways and bridges in England and played a crucial role in the industrialization of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dirton

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!