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Dillon Family History

Dillon Surname Meaning

English, Irish, and French: from the Norman French personal name Dillon arising from the ancient Germanic Dillo (of uncertain origin, perhaps a byname from the root dil- ‘destroy’).

English: habitational name from Dilwyn in Herefordshire recorded in 1138 as Dilun, probably from Old English dīglum, dative plural of dīgle ‘settlement at the shady or secret places’.

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Duilleáin ‘descendant of Duilleán’, a personal name, a variant of Dallán meaning ‘little blind one’.

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): probably an artificial name from the Biblical placename Dilon (Joshua 138). Altered form of French Delon.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Dillon family from?

You can see how Dillon families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dillon family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dillon families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 822 Dillon families living in Lancashire. This was about 36% of all the recorded Dillon's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Dillon families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dillon surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dillon ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dillon. 17% of Dillon men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Dillon women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dillon were Carpenter joiner and Private Means.

View Census Data for Dillon | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Carpenter joiner
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Dillon family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 289,000 census records available for the last name Dillon. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dillon census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dillon

Passenger Lists

There are 44,000 immigration records available for the last name Dillon. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dillon immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Dillon. For the veterans among your Dillon ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Dillon family history

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What is the average Dillon lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Dillon life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Dillon in 1941 was 54, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dillon

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dillon ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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