Explore the Family Name Dickens
The meaning of Dickens
1. English: variant of Dicken, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. 2. Flemish and Dutch: genitive patronymic from Dick 6.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dickens in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Dickens has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Dickens was ranked as the 1,814th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had fallen to 1,990th, a decrease of 9.7%. The total count of people with this surname also decreased marginally during this period from 18,181 to 18,123, showing a reduction of 0.32%. Accordingly, the proportion of the Dickens surname per 100,000 people in the U.S. fell by 8.9% from 6.74 to 6.14.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,814 | #1,990 | -9.7% |
| Count | 18,181 | 18,123 | -0.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.74 | 6.14 | -8.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dickens
On the subject of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the ethnic identity linked to the Dickens surname has shifted somewhat from 2000 to 2010. The largest percentage of individuals with the surname identified as White, although the proportion decreased slightly from 65.3% to 63.46%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black constituted the second largest group at 31.12%, up by 1.7% from the previous decade. The Hispanic population with this surname experienced the highest growth, increasing by 63.97% to reach 2.23% of the total. Other increases occurred among those identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander (up 18.18% to 0.39%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (up 7.5% to 0.86%). Individuals identifying with two or more races also increased their representation to 1.93%, up by 19.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.3% | 63.46% | -2.82% |
| Black | 30.6% | 31.12% | 1.7% |
| Hispanic | 1.36% | 2.23% | 63.97% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 1.93% | 19.88% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.8% | 0.86% | 7.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.39% | 18.18% |
Dickens 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 Dickens is British & Irish, which comprises 54.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Nigerian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.7% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Nigerian | 4.2% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Dickens
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 Dickens have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.10% |
What Dickens 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 Dickens is R-Z2961, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z2961 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M167 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Johnston, Johnstone, Truman, Cox, Harding, Poole, Steele, Roberts, Hodge, Carey.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dickens surname are: H1c, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Dickens 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.
"Dickens" Surname 41.2%
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.
"Dickens" Surname 21.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dickens" Surname 26.7%
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.
"Dickens" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dickens?
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 Dickens are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition