2000
#1,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,401
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.67
Uncommon Last name
Dickey
An English occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a ditch or dike digger or builder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,960 Americans carry the last name Dickey. That puts it at #1,605 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,732 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dickey 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 Dickey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,732
Census rank
#1,605
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,766 bearers of the surname Dickey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1605th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dickey
The surname Dickey has its origins in England and Scotland, where it emerged as a diminutive form of the personal name Richard. The name is derived from the Old German "Richard," which means "brave ruler." It is believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Normans after their conquest in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195 as "Dicki." This spelling variation reflects the common practice of transforming the ending of a name to create a diminutive or nickname.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Dickey surname was found in various parts of England and Scotland. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, a person named William Dyke was recorded. This spelling variation highlights the diverse forms the name took over time.
The Dickey surname has a rich history, with several notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries. One of the earliest recorded examples is John Dickey, a Scottish minister born in 1670 who served as the first moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
Another prominent figure was James Dickey, an American poet and novelist born in 1923 and died in 1997, renowned for his work "Deliverance." James Dickey's literary contributions earned him numerous accolades, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
In the realm of sports, Glenn Dickey, an American sportswriter and columnist born in 1928, made a significant impact. He covered various sporting events, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Athletics, for several decades.
The Dickey surname has also been associated with place names, such as Dickey County in North Dakota, which was named after James Dickey, a prominent local politician in the late 19th century.
Another notable individual was Adam Dickey, an American politician and lawyer born in 1776, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee from 1833 to 1837.
While the origins of the Dickey surname can be traced back to England and Scotland, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dickey
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dickey 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 Dickey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 17,279
- Black or African American12.4% · 2,706
- Two or more races3.7% · 813
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 692
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 183
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 93
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dickey
Dickey 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
#1,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,320
-81 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 7.91
Rank movement Down 154 places
2020
#1,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,766
-1,554 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 7.28
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,388 | 23,401 | 8.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,542 | 23,320 | 7.91 | -81 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 154 places |
| 2020 | #1,605 | 21,766 | 7.28 | -1,554 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 63 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 Dickey 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 | #1,542 | #1,605 | -4.1% |
| Count | 23,320 | 21,766 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.91 | 7.28 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dickey bearers went from 23,320 to 21,766 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,542 to #1,605.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dickey
FAQ
Dickey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dickey?
Name Census estimates that about 24,960 living Americans carry the surname Dickey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,732 residents.
How common is Dickey?
Dickey ranks #1,605 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,766 people with the surname Dickey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,960), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Dickey.
Has Dickey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dickey went from 23,320 recorded bearers to 21,766. That is a decrease of 1,554 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,542 to #1,605.
What does the Census say about the background of Dickey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dickey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Dickey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (17,279 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dickey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Black (12.4%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Dickey (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 Dickey mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a ditch or dike digger or builder. 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 Dickey (7.28 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 common is the surname Dickey?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dickey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.