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

Dyke, 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 Dyke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dyke in America

Dyke is the 6704th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dyke surname appeared 5,037 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dyke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dyke 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 Dyke

The surname Dyke has its origins in the Middle English word "dik", which means a ditch or a trench. It is likely that the name was initially given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a dike or ditch.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in England, specifically in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. It is believed that the earliest recorded instances of the name were found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk and Suffolk, dating back to 1273.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of land ownership in England, there are several entries that mention the word "dike" in reference to various locations, indicating the presence of ditches or trenches in those areas.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Dyke was John Dyke, who was born in Norfolk around 1260. He is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 as a landowner in the village of Reepham.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Dyke, who lived in the 15th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk in 1455 and 1472. He was also the High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1464.

In the 16th century, there was a family of Dykes who were prominent landowners in Hertfordshire. One of their members, Sir Percyvall Dyke, was born in 1533 and served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in 1586.

The surname Dyke was also found in Scotland, where it was likely derived from the same Middle English word. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Sir William Dyke, who was born in Perthshire in 1625 and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1685.

In the United States, the surname Dyke can be traced back to the 17th century, with early records showing immigrants from England and Scotland settling in various colonies, such as Massachusetts and Virginia.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Dyke throughout history, highlighting its origins and prominence in various regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dyke

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

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 Dyke 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 Dyke 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 Dyke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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