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

Dykes, 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 Dykes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dykes in America

Dykes is the 2598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dykes surname appeared 13,874 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Dykes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dykes 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 Dykes

The surname Dykes is an English name that originated in the northern English counties of Durham and Northumberland. It is derived from the Old English word "dic," which means a dike or ditch, referring to someone who lived near a dike or ditch.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records showing variations such as "de Dik," "de Dyk," and "de Dyke." In the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, there is a reference to a person named "Gamel de Dik."

The Dykes surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This further solidifies the name's long-standing presence in England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dykes surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which mentions a "William de la Dyke." Another early record is from the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, listing a "John atte Dyke."

Several notable individuals have borne the Dykes surname throughout history. One such figure was Jeremiah Dykes (1617-1692), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Wolverhampton and authored several religious works.

Another prominent Dykes was Sir Reginald Dykes Bower (1857-1944), a British Army officer and politician who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Cleveland from 1910 to 1918.

In the realm of sports, there was John William Dykes (1888-1917), an English footballer who played as a forward for various clubs, including Manchester United and Middlesbrough, in the early 20th century.

The Dykes surname also has a connection to literature through the English writer and poet James Dykes Campbell (1835-1907), known for his works on Scottish history and literature.

Lastly, a more recent figure with the Dykes surname is Melissa Dykes (born 1987), an American journalist and researcher who has worked for various independent media outlets and is known for her investigative reporting on topics such as geopolitics and government corruption.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dykes

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

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

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

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