The Dickinson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 26,607 people carried this name — #1,324 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,100 people counted. That is up 2% from 26,144 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dickinson surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Dickin + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dickinson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Richard Digon, London, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Dickens, Dickenson, Dickins, Dickinson and Dickons.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 240 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 101 people named Dickinson live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 101

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

29 people named Dickinson live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Basel-Landschaft.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Basel-Landschaft 11
Geneva 6
Valais 6
Vaud 3
Zug 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 25 people named Dickinson.

Most of them — 18 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Seine-Maritime.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 18
Seine-Maritime 2
Yvelines 2
Nord 1
Paris 1
Hauts-de-Seine 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dickinson was found among the farmers of 8 counties.

It was most frequent in Northumberland: 63 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 159. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Dickinson and Dickenson.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Northumberland 63
Lancashire 44
Cumberland and Westmorland 39
Yorkshire, West Riding 30
Hertfordshire 25
Gloucestershire 20
Lincolnshire 20
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 17

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Dickinson was recorded 16 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1361st most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 14. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

351 families named Dickinson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 2,053 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 13 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 96
Connecticut 57
New York 50
North Carolina 35
Pennsylvania 34
Virginia 32
Maryland 17
Vermont 14
South Carolina 10
New Hampshire 4
Maine 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 237 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dickinson in American newspapers,
1911–1926.

Newspaper page from The Weekly Iberian carrying the name Dickinson
The Weekly Iberian 1913-04-12
Newspaper page from The Kevin Review carrying the name Dickinson
The Kevin Review 1926-03-25
Newspaper page from The Enterprise carrying the name Dickinson
The Enterprise 1911-05-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 17,662 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dickinson in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

39,955 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dickinson. The most, 5,737, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 17,355
Victoria 10,416
Queensland 4,496
South Australia 2,559
Western Australia 2,405
Tasmania 2,218
ACT (Canberra) 367
Northern Territory 20

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dickinson.

Who carried it

People named Dickinson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Charlotte Dickinson d. 1872
  • Ian Dickinson d. 1996
  • Joan Fabian Dickinson d. 1975
  • Bridget Dickinson d. 1807
  • Ida Dickinson d. 1934
  • Samuel Dickinson d. 1908

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dickinson,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,215 records

3,215 records of the Dickinson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,005
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 719
  • Other U.S. records 1,491
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Albert Dickinson

    Born 1946; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, air observation pilot; killed in action 1968 in Quang Duc, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Langdon T. Dickinson

    Born 1916 in Kansas. Enlisted 1944 at Cleveland, Ohio; welder from Summit County, Ohio. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1968, buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Frank Dickinson

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the America from Southampton, aged 48; merchant. From London, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,215 records for Dickinson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,578 records

1,578 records of the Dickinson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 795
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 395
  • Other Australian records 388
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Ann Dickinson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Tory, sailing from London in 1845. Native of Warburton, Cheshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Saml Dickinson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Brenhilda, aged 49; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Frank W. Dickinson

    Enlisted in 1915. Honoured on the Ballarat Avenue of Honour.

    City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU)

Showing 3 of 1,578 records for Dickinson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Canada204 records

204 records of the Dickinson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 89
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 37
  • Other Canadian records 78
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jos Dickinson

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Polynesian, landing at Quebec, bound for Thornbury, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Nellie Dickinson

    Buried in 1962 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 80.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Everett C. Dickinson

    Died 1938 in Springhill, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 204 records for Dickinson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom85 records

85 records of the Dickinson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 75
  • Welsh wills index cards 4
  • Other British records 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Dickinson

    Buried in 1924 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 59.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Bertha Dickinson

    Will proved in 1941; of Surrey, Surrey.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. A. Dickinson

    South Wales Borderers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 85 records for Dickinson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand38 records

38 records of the Dickinson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 37
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Henry Dickinson

    Died 1886, aged 59; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Dickinson

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mabel Evelyn Dickinson

    Died 1976, aged 87; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 38 records for Dickinson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands10 records

10 records of the Dickinson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Decimus Dickinson

    Died 1895 in Enschede, aged 37; teacher.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Christopher Stanley Dickinson

    Married in 1919 in 's-Gravenhage; commercial traveller.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Decimus Dickinson

    Died 1895 in Enschede; born in Londen; teacher.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Enschede (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Dickinson in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France5 records

5 records of the Dickinson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Martin Edward Dickinson

    Born 1917 in the United States; died 1993 in Calviac-en-Périgord (Dordogne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marguerite Laking Dickinson

    Born 1903 in Saint-Cyr-l'École (Yvelines); died 1987 in Beauvais (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Dickinson in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Dickinson name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Dickinson

    From Dresden. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 10 January 1919 (Fusilier Regiment No. 34).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Dickinson in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Dickinson.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dickinson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dickinson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Dickinson volume
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