2000
#49,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 402
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Dingledine
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Dingleden.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 436 Americans carry the last name Dingledine. That puts it at #57,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 786,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dingledine 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.
Bearers in the US
436
1 in 786,134
Census rank
#57,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
380
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 380 bearers of the surname Dingledine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dingledine, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dingledine
The surname Dingledine is believed to have originated in England, possibly in the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, likely a small village or hamlet that no longer exists or has been absorbed into a larger town or city.
One theory suggests that the name may have evolved from the Old English words "dingle" and "dene," which refer to a small valley or wooded dell. This would indicate that the name's origins could be traced back to a location described as a wooded valley or glen.
Another possibility is that the name is a variation of the surname "Dingley," which is known to have been present in the counties of Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire in England as early as the 13th century. Records from this period often show variations in spelling, so Dingledine may have been an alternative spelling or a localized evolution of the original name.
The earliest recorded instance of the Dingledine surname appears to be in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a John Dingledine was baptized in 1642. However, it is likely that the name existed in England before this date, as record-keeping practices were not always consistent or comprehensive, especially in smaller rural communities.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Dingledine name was William Dingledine (1717-1798), a merchant and landowner who lived in the village of Hartwell, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. His descendants continued to live in the area for several generations.
Another historical figure with the Dingledine surname was James Dingledine (1792-1868), a farmer and innkeeper from the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. He is mentioned in local records and newspapers from the early 19th century.
In the 19th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, as well as to North America. John Dingledine (1835-1912) was a prominent businessman and civic leader in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he owned a successful brewery.
Another notable individual was Mary Dingledine (1859-1932), an educator and author from Lincolnshire, England, who wrote several books on teaching methods and child development.
While the Dingledine surname may have originated from a specific location in England, it is clear that over time, families bearing this name became dispersed across various regions and even continents, contributing to the rich tapestry of history and heritage associated with this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dingledine
Among Census respondents with the surname Dingledine, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dingledine 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 Dingledine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 352
- Two or more races2.6% · 10
- Black or African American2.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dingledine
Dingledine 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
#48,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 430
+28 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 164 places
2020
#57,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 380
-50 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 8,810 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,159 | 402 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,995 | 430 | 0.15 | +28 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 164 places |
| 2020 | #57,805 | 380 | 0.13 | -50 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 8,810 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 Dingledine 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 | #48,995 | #57,805 | -18.0% |
| Count | 430 | 380 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.13 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dingledine bearers went from 430 to 380 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 8,810 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,995 to #57,805.
FAQ
Dingledine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dingledine?
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the surname Dingledine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 786,134 residents.
How common is Dingledine?
Dingledine ranks #57,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 380 people with the surname Dingledine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dingledine.
Has Dingledine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dingledine went from 430 recorded bearers to 380. That is a decrease of 50 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,995 to #57,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Dingledine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dingledine, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (2.4%). 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 Dingledine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dingledine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Black (2.4%). 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 Dingledine (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 Dingledine mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Dingleden. 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 Dingledine (0.13 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 Dingledine?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Dingledine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.