Find out how popular the last name Dyess is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dyess.

Dyess, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dyess surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dyess in America

Dyess is the 10437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dyess surname appeared 3,082 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dyess.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dyess to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dyess

The surname Dyess is believed to have its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dìth," which means "want" or "lack." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone who was perceived as impoverished or lacking resources.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dyess can be found in the parish records of Lanarkshire, Scotland, in the late 1500s. This region, located in the central lowlands of Scotland, was home to many families bearing this surname during that time period.

The surname Dyess has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as the village of Dyess in Moray and the lands of Dyess in Ayrshire. These locations may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

In the 17th century, the Dyess surname appeared in historical records related to the Scottish Covenanters, a religious movement that played a significant role in the struggles between Presbyterians and the Anglican church during that era. One notable figure from this time was John Dyess, a Covenanter who was persecuted for his beliefs in the late 1600s.

As Scottish families migrated to other parts of the world, the Dyess surname spread to various regions. In the 18th century, William Dyess, born in 1712, was among the early Scottish settlers in the American colonies, establishing a presence for the name in the New World.

Another prominent individual with the surname Dyess was Robert Dyess, a Scottish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in 1745, he fought against the American colonists and later settled in Canada after the war's end.

In the 19th century, the Dyess surname gained recognition through the achievements of individuals like James Dyess, a Scottish inventor and engineer born in 1832. He is credited with developing several innovative agricultural machinery designs that improved farming practices during the Industrial Revolution.

As time progressed, the Dyess surname continued to be carried by notable figures across various fields. One such individual was Arden Dyess, an American aviator and military officer who was born in 1915. He played a crucial role in the development of the United States Air Force and received numerous honors for his service during World War II.

These examples illustrate the rich history and global reach of the Dyess surname, which has its roots in the Scottish Highlands but has since been embraced by individuals from diverse backgrounds and backgrounds across the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dyess

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dyess.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dyess was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dyess has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dyess was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dyess, please contact us.

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