NameCensus.

UK surname

Dickel

A variant spelling of the German surname Dickel, a nickname for a stout, fat person.

In the 1881 census there were 4 people recorded with the Dickel surname, ranking it #33,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 95, ranked #31,782, up from #33,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barking and Dagenham, Fareham and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dickel is 115 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2275.0%.

1881 census count

4

Ranked #33,288

Modern count

95

2016, ranked #31,782

Peak year

1998

115 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Dickel had 4 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016, ranked #31,782.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 42 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Dickel surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dickel surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dickel surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dickel over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 6 #33,230
1881 historical 4 #33,288
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 20 #31,803
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 115 #25,466
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 95 #31,000
2011 modern 90 #31,564
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 90 #32,245
2016 modern 95 #31,782

Geography

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Where Dickels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barking and Dagenham, Fareham, Thurrock and Castle Point. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barking and Dagenham 006 Barking and Dagenham
2 Fareham 005 Fareham
3 Barking and Dagenham 012 Barking and Dagenham
4 Thurrock 003 Thurrock
5 Castle Point 007 Castle Point

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dickel

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dickel surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dickel

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dickel, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Dickel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Dickel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Dickel is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dickel is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dickel falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dickel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dickel, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dickel

The surname DICKEL has its origins in Germany, dating back to the early medieval period, around the 8th or 9th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Old German word "dickil," which means "thick" or "stout," and was likely used as a nickname or descriptive term for a person with a stocky or robust build.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DICKEL can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents and charters from the region of Saxony, which mentions a certain "Dickilinus de Magdeburg" in the year 1187.

The DICKEL name has been associated with various locations throughout Germany, particularly in regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Hans Dickel, a farmer from the village of Steinbach in Thuringia, who was mentioned in a land registry document dated 1502.

In the 16th century, the name DICKEL appears in the records of the Reformer Martin Luther, who referenced a certain "Bartholomäus Dickel" as one of his students and followers. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original regional confines and gained recognition within the intellectual circles of the time.

During the 18th century, the DICKEL name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Dickel (1705-1783), a renowned German composer and organist who served as the kapellmeister at the court of Weimar. His contributions to the classical music repertoire of the time have been well-documented.

Another notable figure with the DICKEL surname was Friedrich Dickel (1804-1876), a German-American farmer and entrepreneur who established one of the earliest and most successful whiskey distilleries in Tennessee, USA. His distillery, now known as the George Dickel Distillery, continues to produce Tennessee whiskey to this day.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the DICKEL name can be found in various historical records and documents across Germany and other parts of Europe, as well as in the United States, where many German immigrants settled and established new roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dickel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dickel surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4 Dickels recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4 10.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 4 Dickels recorded in 1881 and an index of 481.93x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 4 481.93x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dickel surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Louisa 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dickel surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Frederick 1
Henry 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Dickel households.

FAQ

Dickel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dickel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4 people were recorded with the Dickel surname. That placed it at #33,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dickel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016. That gives Dickel a modern rank of #31,782.

What does the Dickel surname mean?

A variant spelling of the German surname Dickel, a nickname for a stout, fat person.

What does the Dickel map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dickel bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.