Explore the Family Name Dick
The meaning of Dick
1. English and Scottish: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Dick, also found as Dike and Deke, pet forms of Rick (see Richard). Although found in every part of Britain, the form Dick is especially common in Scotland, and it was from there, in the 17th century, that the surname was taken to northern Ireland and thence to North America. 2. English: variant of Dyke. 3. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from Middle High German dic(ke) ‘thick, strong, stout’, or in the case of the Jewish name from German dick or Yiddish dik ‘fat’. 4. German: topographic name for someone who lived by a thicket or patch of thick undergrowth, from Middle High German dicke, a special use of dic(ke) ‘thick’. 5. North German: from a pet form of the personal name Dietrich. 6. Flemish and Dutch: either from a pet form of the personal name Diederik (a cognate of German Dietrich; compare 5 above) or a nickname for a corpulent person, from Middle Dutch dick ‘fat’ (compare 3 above). In North America, this surname is also an altered form of the much more common Dutch variant Dik.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dick in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dick has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 1492 among all surnames, but slipped to 1718 by 2010, reflecting a change of -15.15 percent. The actual count of individuals with this surname also dropped from 21,933 in 2000 to 20,923 in 2010, a decrease of 4.6 percent. This trend is confirmed when looking at the proportion per 100,000 people, which went from 8.13 to 7.09, marking a 12.79 percent decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,492 | #1,718 | -15.15% |
| Count | 21,933 | 20,923 | -4.6% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.13 | 7.09 | -12.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dick
Moving on to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010 as well. In general, the majority of people with the surname Dick identify as White, though this percentage slightly decreased from 89.94 to 88.26. On the other hand, there was an increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.57 percent to 0.97 percent), Hispanic (from 1.3 percent to 1.77 percent), Black (from 2.96 percent to 3.40 percent) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 3.83 percent to 4.11 percent). There was a modest increase in those identifying with two or more ethnicities, from 1.40 percent to 1.49 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.94% | 88.26% | -1.87% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 3.83% | 4.11% | 7.31% |
| Black | 2.96% | 3.4% | 14.86% |
| Hispanic | 1.3% | 1.77% | 36.15% |
| Two or More Races | 1.4% | 1.49% | 6.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.57% | 0.97% | 70.18% |
Dick ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Dick is British & Irish, which comprises 43.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.6%) and Scandinavian (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 43.9% |
| French & German | 32.6% |
| Scandinavian | 5.5% |
| Other | 17.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Dick
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Dick have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
What Dick haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Dick is R-M405, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M405 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z156, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Atkinson, Bower, Winter, Adams, Meier, Schumacher, Zimmer, Smith, Miller, Muller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dick surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Dick have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Dick" Surname 41.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Dick" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dick" Surname 14.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Dick" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dick?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Dick are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition