2000
#17,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,459
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Dismukes
A variant of the French surname Des Muids, referring to someone who lived near wine vats or casks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,822 Americans carry the last name Dismukes. That puts it at #17,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 188,120 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dismukes 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.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 188,120
Census rank
#17,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,589 bearers of the surname Dismukes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dismukes, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (32.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dismukes
The surname Dismukes has its origins in England, with its earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dys" meaning "foolish" and "muke" meaning "mosquito," suggesting the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who was easily bothered or irritated by insignificant things, much like a mosquito's bite.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Parish Registers of Northamptonshire in 1592, where a Richard Dismukes was listed as a resident. Another early reference comes from the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1628, which mention a Thomas Dismukes residing in the county.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread across various regions of England, with records showing Dismukes families in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Some variations in spelling can be seen during this period, including Dismuke, Dismooke, and Dizmuke.
One notable individual bearing the surname was Sir John Dismukes (1634-1702), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Malmesbury in Wiltshire. He was known for his support of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
Another historical figure was Reverend William Dismukes (1720-1786), an Anglican clergyman who served as the Vicar of St. Mary's Church in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. He was renowned for his charitable works and efforts to improve education in the local community.
In the 19th century, the Dismukes name began to appear in the United States, likely due to immigration from England. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John Dismukes (1798-1871), a farmer and landowner in Alabama, who played a significant role in the development of the state's agricultural industry.
Another notable American with the surname was Samuel Dismukes (1833-1917), a soldier and lawyer from Mississippi who served as a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. He later became a prominent figure in the legal profession and served as a judge in Mississippi's Supreme Court.
Thomas Dismukes (1852-1924), a businessman and politician from Louisiana, also left his mark on history. He was involved in various business ventures, including banking and agriculture, and served as a member of the Louisiana State Senate.
While the name Dismukes may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since evolved into a respected surname with a rich history spanning multiple centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dismukes
Among Census respondents with the surname Dismukes, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (32.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dismukes 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 Dismukes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.1% · 939
- Black or African American32.0% · 509
- Two or more races4.8% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dismukes
Dismukes 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
#17,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,566
+107 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 154 places
2020
#17,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,589
+23 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 474 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,710 | 1,459 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,864 | 1,566 | 0.53 | +107 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 154 places |
| 2020 | #17,390 | 1,589 | 0.53 | +23 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 474 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 Dismukes 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 | #17,864 | #17,390 | 2.7% |
| Count | 1,566 | 1,589 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dismukes bearers went from 1,566 to 1,589 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 474 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,864 to #17,390.
FAQ
Dismukes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dismukes?
Name Census estimates that about 1,822 living Americans carry the surname Dismukes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 188,120 residents.
How common is Dismukes?
Dismukes ranks #17,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,589 people with the surname Dismukes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,822), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dismukes.
Has Dismukes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dismukes went from 1,566 recorded bearers to 1,589. That is an increase of 23 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,864 to #17,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Dismukes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dismukes, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (32.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Dismukes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.1% (939 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dismukes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.1%), Black (32.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Dismukes (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 Dismukes mean?
A variant of the French surname Des Muids, referring to someone who lived near wine vats or casks. 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 Dismukes (0.53 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 are called Dismukes?
Want to know how many people have the surname Dismukes? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.