2000
#7,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,011
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Dixson
Son of Dick or Richard, a patronymic surname of English origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,969 Americans carry the last name Dixson. That puts it at #7,419 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,979 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dixson 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 Dixson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,979
Census rank
#7,419
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,333 bearers of the surname Dixson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7419th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dixson, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Black (42.3%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dixson
The surname DIXSON originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English personal name Dicca, which was a diminutive of the name Richard. The suffix '-son' was added to denote 'son of', meaning 'son of Dicca'.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name DIXSON dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as Dixsun. This suggests that the name was already established in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
In the 13th century, the name DIXSON was found in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentioned a Roger Dixson. This indicates that the name had spread across different regions of England by this time.
During the 16th century, the DIXSON surname appeared in various parish records and tax rolls. One notable bearer of the name was Richard Dixson, a merchant who lived in London in the late 1500s.
In the 17th century, the DIXSON name was found in several historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Yorkshire from 1672, which listed a John Dixson. This suggests that the name had established a presence in northern England.
One of the earliest recorded DIXSONs in America was Edward Dixson, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He was among the early settlers of the British colonies in North America.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname DIXSON. These include:
1. William Dixson (1754-1826), an English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
2. John Dixson (1766-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
3. Elizabeth Dixson (1843-1920), a American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights.
4. Henry Dixson (1892-1974), an Australian businessman and philanthropist who donated significant funds to the University of Sydney.
5. Robert Dixson (1919-2001), a British painter and sculptor known for his abstract expressionist works.
The DIXSON surname has experienced various spelling variations over the centuries, including Dixon, Dickson, and Dickinson, among others. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Old English personal name Dicca and the patronymic suffix '-son'.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dixson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dixson, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Black (42.3%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dixson 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 Dixson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.1% · 1,999
- Black or African American42.3% · 1,832
- Two or more races5.8% · 250
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dixson
Dixson 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
#7,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,285
+274 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 102 places
2020
#7,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,333
+48 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 329 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,646 | 4,011 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,748 | 4,285 | 1.45 | +274 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 102 places |
| 2020 | #7,419 | 4,333 | 1.45 | +48 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 329 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 Dixson 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 | #7,748 | #7,419 | 4.2% |
| Count | 4,285 | 4,333 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.45 | -0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dixson bearers went from 4,285 to 4,333 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 329 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,748 to #7,419.
FAQ
Dixson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dixson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,969 living Americans carry the surname Dixson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,979 residents.
How common is Dixson?
Dixson ranks #7,419 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 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 4,333 people with the surname Dixson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,969), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 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 Dixson.
Has Dixson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dixson went from 4,285 recorded bearers to 4,333. That is an increase of 48 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,748 to #7,419.
What does the Census say about the background of Dixson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dixson, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Black (42.3%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Dixson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.1% (1,999 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dixson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.1%), Black (42.3%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Dixson (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 Dixson mean?
Son of Dick or Richard, a patronymic surname of English origin. 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 Dixson (1.45 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 Dixson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Dixson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.