2000
#13,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,084
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Dycus
A variant of Dykus, an occupational surname for a dike or ditch builder in the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,367 Americans carry the last name Dycus. That puts it at #13,992 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,805 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dycus 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 144,805
Census rank
#13,992
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,064 bearers of the surname Dycus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13992nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dycus, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dycus
The surname Dycus has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dic" or "dich," meaning a ditch or trench, and "hus," meaning a house or dwelling. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ditch or trench.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dycus can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where it appears as "de Dicus." This spelling variation provides evidence of the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the Dycus surname is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, indicating the presence of the family in that region. The name is also found in various historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, including parish records and tax records.
Notably, the Dycus name appears in the Visitation of Gloucestershire in 1623, a record of genealogical information compiled by the College of Arms. This suggests that the Dycus family had established themselves as a notable family in the county of Gloucestershire by that time.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Dycus have achieved recognition in various fields. One such person was John Dycus (1575-1638), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century.
Another notable figure was William Dycus (1623-1695), a prominent landowner and merchant in the county of Somerset. His estate, known as Dycus Manor, was a significant landholding in the area.
In the 18th century, Thomas Dycus (1712-1786) was a respected clergyman in the Church of England, serving as the vicar of St. Mary's Parish in Warwickshire for over four decades.
Moving into the 19th century, Mary Dycus (1826-1901) was a renowned author and poet, known for her works exploring themes of nature and spirituality.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, Robert Dycus (1887-1962) was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Birmingham, including the Birmingham Town Hall and the city's central library.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of individuals who have carried the Dycus surname, contributing to various aspects of English society and culture over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dycus
Among Census respondents with the surname Dycus, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dycus 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 Dycus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 1,753
- Black or African American6.4% · 132
- Two or more races4.8% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dycus
Dycus 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
#13,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,170
+86 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 516 places
2020
#13,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,064
-106 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,400 | 2,084 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,916 | 2,170 | 0.74 | +86 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 516 places |
| 2020 | #13,992 | 2,064 | 0.69 | -106 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 76 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 Dycus 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 | #13,916 | #13,992 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,170 | 2,064 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.69 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dycus bearers went from 2,170 to 2,064 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,916 to #13,992.
FAQ
Dycus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dycus?
Name Census estimates that about 2,367 living Americans carry the surname Dycus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,805 residents.
How common is Dycus?
Dycus ranks #13,992 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,064 people with the surname Dycus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,367), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Dycus.
Has Dycus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dycus went from 2,170 recorded bearers to 2,064. That is a decrease of 106 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,916 to #13,992.
What does the Census say about the background of Dycus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dycus, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) 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 Dycus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (1,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dycus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (6.4%), 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 Dycus (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 Dycus mean?
A variant of Dykus, an occupational surname for a dike or ditch builder in the Netherlands. 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 Dycus (0.69 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 Dycus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.