2000
#14,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Dyck
A Dutch occupational surname referring to someone living near or working on a dike or embankment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,389 Americans carry the last name Dyck. That puts it at #13,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,472 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dyck 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
2.4K
1 in 143,472
Census rank
#13,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,083 bearers of the surname Dyck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dyck, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dyck
The surname DYCK is of Dutch origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is thought to have originated from the Dutch word "dijk," meaning dike or embankment. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a dike or worked in the construction or maintenance of dikes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DYCK can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where it was used to refer to people who lived near the sea dikes. The name was also commonly found in other coastal regions of the Netherlands, such as Zeeland and Zuid-Holland, where dikes played a crucial role in protecting the land from flooding.
In the 17th century, the DYCK surname appeared in several historical records, including the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that Dutch immigrants bearing the DYCK name had already settled in England by that time.
One notable individual with the surname DYCK was Sir Antony van Dyck (1599-1641), a Flemish painter who was one of the most prominent court painters of the 17th century. He is particularly renowned for his portraits of European aristocracy and his innovative style, which influenced the development of portraiture in the Baroque period.
Another significant figure with the DYCK surname was Hendrik van der Dyck (1599-1661), a Dutch admiral and naval commander who played a crucial role in the Dutch-Portuguese War and the Anglo-Dutch Wars. He is remembered for his strategic naval victories and his contributions to the development of the Dutch maritime empire.
In the 18th century, the DYCK surname gained prominence in the Netherlands and neighboring regions, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Gerard van der Dyck (1705-1781), a Dutch painter and engraver who was renowned for his landscapes and cityscapes.
During the 19th century, the DYCK surname spread further across Europe and beyond. One notable figure from this period was Sir William Muir Dyck (1835-1908), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served in India and played a significant role in the suppression of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Another prominent individual with the DYCK surname was Peter van der Dyck (1819-1893), a Dutch-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the sugar industry. He was known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly his support for educational institutions in his adopted hometown of San Francisco.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dyck
Among Census respondents with the surname Dyck, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dyck 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 Dyck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 1,871
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 120
- Black or African American2.0% · 42
- Two or more races1.8% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dyck
Dyck 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
#14,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,010
+196 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 176 places
2020
#13,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,083
+73 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,951 | 1,814 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,775 | 2,010 | 0.68 | +196 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 176 places |
| 2020 | #13,883 | 2,083 | 0.70 | +73 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 892 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 Dyck 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 | #14,775 | #13,883 | 6.0% |
| Count | 2,010 | 2,083 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.70 | 2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dyck bearers went from 2,010 to 2,083 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 892 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,775 to #13,883.
FAQ
Dyck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dyck?
Name Census estimates that about 2,389 living Americans carry the surname Dyck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,472 residents.
How common is Dyck?
Dyck ranks #13,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,083 people with the surname Dyck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,389), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Dyck.
Has Dyck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dyck went from 2,010 recorded bearers to 2,083. That is an increase of 73 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,775 to #13,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Dyck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dyck, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Dyck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (1,871 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dyck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (5.8%), Black (2.0%). 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 Dyck (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 Dyck mean?
A Dutch occupational surname referring to someone living near or working on a dike or embankment. 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 Dyck (0.70 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 have the last name Dyck?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dyck on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.