The Dyson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,017 people carried this name — #2,984 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,600 people counted. That is up 4% from 11,502 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dyson surname

A patronymic English surname, from Dennis + -son, compare Tyson, Tennyson.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dyson» (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

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Dionisia’.

An early record he cites: Johannes Dison, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 261 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dyson was found among the farmers of Yorkshire, West Riding: 26 in every 10,000.

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.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Yorkshire, West Riding 26

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 the first U.S. census, 1790

28 families named Dyson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 154 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 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

Maryland 12
Virginia 7
North Carolina 4
South Carolina 3
Massachusetts 1
Pennsylvania 1

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. 238 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dyson in American newspapers,
1872–1915.

Newspaper page from Fair Play carrying the name Dyson
Fair Play 1873-04-10
Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Dyson
The Sun 1915-06-27
Newspaper page from New Orleans Republican carrying the name Dyson
New Orleans Republican 1872-03-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,156 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dyson in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

34,584 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dyson. The most, 6,902, date from the 1900s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 9,561
New South Wales 7,890
Queensland 7,258
Western Australia 5,541
Tasmania 2,394
South Australia 1,727
ACT (Canberra) 114
Northern Territory 37

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

Who carried it

People named Dyson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Jeremiah Dyson
    Jeremiah Dyson 1722–1776 · politician
  • Ella Dyson d. 1892
  • Humphrey Dyson 1582–1633 · book collector
  • Charles Dyson 1788–1860 · academic
  • Charles Dyson 1788–1860 · academic
  • Sarah Dyson 1791–1855

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dyson,
in the records of 6 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 States1,130 records

1,130 records of the Dyson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 396
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 265
  • Other U.S. records 469
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Delbert G. Dyson

    Born 1922 in Ohio. Enlisted 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; route man. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Washington Cemetery, Pennsylvania.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 16; servant. From Dublin, Ireland; bound for Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Harold Dyson

    Born 1931; from Wayne County, Michigan. U.S. Army, light weapons infantry leader; killed in action 1953 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,130 records for Dyson in the United States.

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

Australia1,357 records

1,357 records of the Dyson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 636
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 254
  • Other Australian records 467
  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 George Dyson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Barossa, sailing from Sheerness in 1841. Native of Liverpool, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Thornton Dyson

    Died 1898 in Mersey, Tasmania, aged 48. Will registered in Tasmania in 1898.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Francis Ridley, aged 43; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,357 records for Dyson 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom63 records

63 records of the Dyson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 55
  • Welsh wills index cards 4
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charlotte Dyson

    Buried in 1801 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 19.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. 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 Louisa Helen Dyson

    Will proved in 1941; of Lowestoft, Suffolk.

    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 W. Dyson

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 63 records for Dyson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · 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).

Canada42 records

42 records of the Dyson name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 11
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 9
  • Other Canadian records 22
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Dyson

    Came to Ontario in 1876 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Portland, bound for Newmarket, 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 Blanche Lenore Dyson

    Buried in 1984 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 92.

    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 Elizabeth Faichney Dyson

    Died 1955 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 42 records for Dyson in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · 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).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Dyson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edith Alice Dyson

    Died 1950, aged 57; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Jane Dyson

    Buried in 1911 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 45.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (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 C. Dyson

    New Zealand Field Artillery. 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 8 records for Dyson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). 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).

France2 records

2 records of the Dyson 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 Violet Dyson

    Born 1894 in the United Kingdom; died 1993 in Grasse (Alpes-Maritimes).

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

    Born 1949 in Great Britain; died 1994 in Bordeaux (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dyson.

When the index is not enough

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

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