2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ditlevson
A patronymic surname originating from a Danish personal name composed of the elements "dyt" meaning people and "lev" meaning descendant or offspring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Ditlevson. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ditlevson 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Ditlevson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ditlevson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ditlevson
The surname DITLEVSON has its origins in Denmark, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Danish personal name "Ditlev," a variation of the German name "Dietlev," which means "people's remnant" or "survivor of the people." The name Ditlev was particularly common in the regions of Jutland and Zealand.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DITLEVSON appears in a 1572 parish register from the town of Nakskov on the island of Lolland. The entry lists a man named Peder Ditlevson, who was likely the son of someone named Ditlev. In those times, it was common practice to add the suffix "-son" to a father's given name to form a surname.
In the 17th century, the DITLEVSON surname can be found in various historical documents from Copenhagen. A notable example is Hans Ditlevson, a merchant who lived from 1610 to 1678. He was involved in the thriving trade between Denmark and the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age.
The DITLEVSON name also has connections to the island of Møn, where it is believed to have originated from the village of Ditlev. A famous bearer of this surname was Niels Ditlevson (1663-1738), a respected theologian and bishop of the Diocese of Ribe.
Another noteworthy individual was Jens Ditlevson (1779-1856), a Danish naval officer who served in the Gunboat War against the British during the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded the prestigious Order of the Dannebrog for his bravery and leadership.
In more recent history, Peter Ditlevson (1876-1949) was a prominent Danish architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in Copenhagen and other parts of Denmark during the early 20th century.
While the DITLEVSON surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of Denmark's historical and cultural heritage, with its roots stretching back centuries to the rural villages and coastal towns of the Danish countryside.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ditlevson
Among Census respondents with the surname Ditlevson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ditlevson 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 Ditlevson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 8
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ditlevson
Ditlevson 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+14 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,735 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-23 bearers (-18.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 3,735 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.1%) | Down 20,542 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 Ditlevson 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 | #133,048 | #153,590 | -15.4% |
| Count | 127 | 104 | -18.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ditlevson bearers went from 127 to 104 (-18.1% change). The surname moved down 20,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #153,590.
FAQ
Ditlevson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ditlevson?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Ditlevson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Ditlevson?
Ditlevson ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Ditlevson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Ditlevson.
Has Ditlevson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ditlevson went from 127 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Ditlevson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ditlevson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) 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 Ditlevson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ditlevson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (7.7%), 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 Ditlevson (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 Ditlevson mean?
A patronymic surname originating from a Danish personal name composed of the elements "dyt" meaning people and "lev" meaning descendant or offspring. 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 Ditlevson (0.03 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 Ditlevson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.