2000
#21,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Diskin
A locational surname derived from the town of Diskin in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,190 Americans carry the last name Diskin. That puts it at #25,020 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 288,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Diskin 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 Diskin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 288,029
Census rank
#25,020
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,038 bearers of the surname Diskin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25020th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Diskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Diskin
The surname Diskin is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "dísceán," which means "disciple" or "student." The name likely originated in County Galway, where it was most prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Diskin surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a Diskin family residing in County Galway during the 16th century.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hearth Money Rolls, which were tax records compiled in Ireland during that time. These records indicate that Diskin families were living in counties like Galway, Mayo, and Sligo.
One notable individual bearing the Diskin surname was Patrick Diskin (1798-1868), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who served as the President of St. Jarlath's College in Tuam, County Galway. He was instrumental in establishing the college as a renowned institution for higher education in the region.
Another prominent figure was Thomas J. Diskin (1845-1925), an Irish-American businessman and politician from New York City. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in Irish-American organizations, working to promote Irish interests in the United States.
In the 19th century, the Diskin name also appears in several parish records and land registry documents in counties like Mayo and Roscommon, suggesting the family's continued presence in the western regions of Ireland.
One interesting reference is found in the memoirs of the Irish revolutionary and writer Ernie O'Malley, who mentions a John Diskin from County Mayo as a participant in the Irish War of Independence in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Thomas Diskin (1887-1964), an Irish-American labor leader and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as the president of the United Mine Workers of America District 5 and was a prominent voice for coal miners' rights in the early 20th century.
While the Diskin surname is not among the most common Irish surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the western counties of Ireland, particularly Galway and Mayo.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Diskin
Among Census respondents with the surname Diskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Diskin 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 Diskin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 963
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 33
- Two or more races2.8% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Diskin
Diskin 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
#23,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,066
-36 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 1,790 places
2020
#25,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,038
-28 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 1,283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,947 | 1,102 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,737 | 1,066 | 0.36 | -36 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 1,790 places |
| 2020 | #25,020 | 1,038 | 0.35 | -28 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 1,283 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 Diskin 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 | #23,737 | #25,020 | -5.4% |
| Count | 1,066 | 1,038 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 0.35 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Diskin bearers went from 1,066 to 1,038 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 1,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,737 to #25,020.
FAQ
Diskin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Diskin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,190 living Americans carry the surname Diskin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 288,029 residents.
How common is Diskin?
Diskin ranks #25,020 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 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 1,038 people with the surname Diskin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 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 Diskin.
Has Diskin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Diskin went from 1,066 recorded bearers to 1,038. That is a decrease of 28 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #23,737 to #25,020.
What does the Census say about the background of Diskin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Diskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Diskin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (963 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Diskin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Diskin (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 Diskin mean?
A locational surname derived from the town of Diskin in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. 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 Diskin (0.35 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 people share the surname Diskin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.