2000
#6,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,005
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.86
Rare Last name
Dyke
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a dike or ditch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,296 Americans carry the last name Dyke. That puts it at #7,012 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,719 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dyke 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 Dyke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,719
Census rank
#7,012
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,618 bearers of the surname Dyke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7012th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dyke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dyke
Among Census respondents with the surname Dyke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dyke 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 Dyke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 4,101
- Black or African American4.0% · 185
- Two or more races3.9% · 178
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dyke
Dyke 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
#6,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,037
+32 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 433 places
2020
#7,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,618
-419 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,271 | 5,005 | 1.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,704 | 5,037 | 1.71 | +32 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 433 places |
| 2020 | #7,012 | 4,618 | 1.55 | -419 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 308 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 Dyke 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 | #6,704 | #7,012 | -4.6% |
| Count | 5,037 | 4,618 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.55 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dyke bearers went from 5,037 to 4,618 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 308 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,704 to #7,012.
FAQ
Dyke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dyke?
Name Census estimates that about 5,296 living Americans carry the surname Dyke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,719 residents.
How common is Dyke?
Dyke ranks #7,012 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,618 people with the surname Dyke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,296), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Dyke.
Has Dyke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dyke went from 5,037 recorded bearers to 4,618. That is a decrease of 419 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,704 to #7,012.
What does the Census say about the background of Dyke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dyke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Dyke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (4,101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dyke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Black (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Dyke (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 Dyke mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a dike or ditch. 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 Dyke (1.55 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 Dyke?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Dyke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.