Dix
French occupational surname for a joiner or carpenter, derived from Old French dix, meaning "wood-cutter."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,311 Americans carry the last name Dix. That puts it at #3,647 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dix surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
11K
1 in 30,303
Census rank
#3,647
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,748 bearers of the surname Dix in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3647th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dix, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dix
The surname DIX is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "dis" meaning "the tenth". It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to the tenth son or a tax collector who collected tithes (one-tenth of a person's income). The name is first recorded in England in the 12th century Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Richard le Dis, who was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as holding lands in Oxfordshire. Another early record is that of Roger Dix, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199. The surname is also found in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Dyk" and "Dyke".
In the 16th century, the name is recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, London, where Thomas Dix was christened in 1563. The variant spelling "Dicks" is also found in this period, with John Dicks being recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1568.
The name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Jasper Dix (1510-1578), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1572-1573. Another prominent bearer of the name was Dorothy Dix (1870-1951), an American journalist and advice columnist who gained national fame for her syndicated column in the early 20th century.
Other notable individuals with the surname Dix include:
1. John Adams Dix (1798-1879), an American politician who served as Secretary of the Treasury and Governor of New York.
2. Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802-1887), an American social reformer and advocate for the humane treatment of the mentally ill.
3. Otto Dix (1891-1969), a German painter and printmaker, noted for his harsh and satirical works depicting the brutality of war and the decadence of German society.
4. John Dix (1884-1948), an English cricketer who played for Worcestershire and captained the English Test team between 1922 and 1926.
5. Morgan Dix (1827-1908), an American Episcopal clergyman who served as the Rector of Trinity Church in New York City for over four decades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dix
Among Census respondents with the surname Dix, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dix bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Dix surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0%
- Black or African American19.0%
- Hispanic or Latino2.2%
- Two or more races1.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Dix surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,365 | #3,647 | -8.4% |
| Count | 9,714 | 9,748 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.60 | 3.30 | -8.3% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Dix bearers went from 9,714 to 9,748 (+0.4% change). The surname moved down 282 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,365 to #3,647.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dix
FAQ
Dix surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Dix?
The surname Dix holds position #3,647 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 11,311 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Dix surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dix, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.