2000
#6,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,691
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.74
Rare Last name
Dishman
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of dishes, bowls, or other hollowware.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,262 Americans carry the last name Dishman. That puts it at #7,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dishman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dishman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 65,138
Census rank
#7,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,589 bearers of the surname Dishman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dishman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dishman
The surname DISHMAN is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "disc" and "mann," meaning a dish-maker or a person who crafted and sold dishes or plates. The name is closely linked to the occupation of pottery and ceramics, as well as the villages and towns where these craftsmen resided.
In the early 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Dischemann" and "Disshemannus" in records from Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. These spellings reflect the dialectal variations and evolving nature of surnames during that period. The earliest known record of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1272, where a certain Robert Dischemann is mentioned.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname DISHMAN. However, it does record several place names and settlements that may have been associated with the occupation of dish-making, such as "Pottersford" and "Crokershill," indicating the presence of potters and ceramic workers in those areas.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DISHMAN was William Dishman, born in 1492 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He was a notable potter and is believed to have introduced the use of salt-glazing techniques in the production of stoneware.
Another notable figure was John Dishman (1624-1697), a renowned ceramicist from Burslem, Staffordshire, who is credited with pioneering the use of lead-glazed earthenware in the region. His work contributed significantly to the growth of the pottery industry in the area.
In the 17th century, the name DISHMAN appeared in various places across England, including Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Nottinghamshire. One prominent individual was Thomas Dishman (1654-1721), a potter from Burslem who played a crucial role in establishing the town as a center for pottery production.
During the 18th century, the DISHMAN surname gained prominence in the North Staffordshire region, particularly in the towns of Burslem, Hanley, and Stoke-on-Trent. This was due to the flourishing pottery industry in the area, which attracted many skilled craftsmen and workers with the surname.
A notable figure from this period was Josiah Dishman (1742-1812), a master potter from Burslem who was renowned for his intricate and innovative designs. His works were highly sought after and contributed to the region's reputation for producing high-quality ceramics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dishman
Among Census respondents with the surname Dishman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dishman 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 Dishman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 3,958
- Black or African American5.0% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 181
- Two or more races3.6% · 166
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dishman
Dishman 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
#6,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,106
+415 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Up 11 places
2020
#7,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,589
-517 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 415 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,645 | 4,691 | 1.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,634 | 5,106 | 1.73 | +415 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 11 places |
| 2020 | #7,049 | 4,589 | 1.54 | -517 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 415 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 Dishman 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 | #6,634 | #7,049 | -6.3% |
| Count | 5,106 | 4,589 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.54 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dishman bearers went from 5,106 to 4,589 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 415 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,634 to #7,049.
FAQ
Dishman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dishman?
Name Census estimates that about 5,262 living Americans carry the surname Dishman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,138 residents.
How common is Dishman?
Dishman ranks #7,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,589 people with the surname Dishman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Dishman.
Has Dishman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dishman went from 5,106 recorded bearers to 4,589. That is a decrease of 517 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,634 to #7,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Dishman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dishman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dishman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (3,958 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dishman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Black (5.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Dishman (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 Dishman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of dishes, bowls, or other hollowware. 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 Dishman (1.54 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 Dishman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.