Explore the Family Name Diesel
The meaning of Diesel
South German: from a pet form of Matthias (see Matthew), or any of the ancient Germanic compound names beginning with the element theod ‘people, race’, for example Dietrich.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Diesel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Diesel" significantly decreased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Diesel was ranked as the 43,290th most common surname, but by 2010 it had fallen to the 66,754th spot. This is a decline of 54.2%. The actual count of people with the surname also dropped from 470 in 2000 to just 296 in 2010, marking a decrease of 37.02%. As a proportion per 100k, the presence of the name Diesel went down by 41.18%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,290 | #66,754 | -54.2% |
| Count | 470 | 296 | -37.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.1 | -41.18% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Diesel
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that the majority of individuals with the Diesel surname identify as White. In 2000, 94.89% of those named Diesel identified as White and this percentage slightly increased to 95.61% by 2010. Those identifying as having two or more ethnicities increased by 19.41%, albeit from a low base of 1.7% in 2000. Meanwhile, the percentages of Diesel surname bearers who identified as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native fell to zero by 2010, from respective 2000 percentages of 1.28%, 1.06%, and 1.06%. There were no changes for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, remaining at 0.00% between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.89% | 95.61% | 0.76% |
| Two or More Races | 1.7% | 2.03% | 19.41% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 1.06% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.06% | 0% | -100% |