Fun Facts About the Name Dillinger
- 417 babies named Dillinger: U.S. records list 417 babies given the name Dillinger from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Dillinger Mean?
Dillinger is a German surname and occasional given name meaning "one from Dillingen." It is a habitational name: it was given to someone who came from a place called Dillingen. In German name formation, the suffix -er added to a place name marks origin, so a Dillinger was originally a person from Dillingen.
The place name Dillingen is generally explained as the Old High German personal name Dillo plus the suffix -ingen, meaning "people of Dillo" or "settlement of Dillo's people." Places with this name include Dillingen an der Donau in Bavaria and Dillingen in Saarland; the place name also occurs in Luxembourg. The literal sense is geographic, not a description of character or appearance.
As a first name, Dillinger is a transferred surname rather than a traditional German given name. Its meaning as a given name is therefore the same as the surname's: it points to the place name Dillingen.
Dillinger Name History & Origins
Dillinger is primarily a German family name. It belongs to the large group of German habitational surnames formed with -er from a place name. In the Middle Ages, bynames that identified a person by his home village or town became inherited family names, and the -er form was one of the common ways to create such a surname.
The place name Dillingen is older than the surname. It is recorded in medieval sources in forms such as Dilinga, and its -ingen ending places it among early German settlement names. Because several different places share the name, the surname Dillinger may have arisen independently in more than one region. German-speaking immigrants carried the name to North America, where it appears as a family name.
In the United States, the best-known bearer is John Dillinger, the bank robber of the 1930s. That association is with the surname. Dillinger as a first name is rare and follows the English-language custom of using surnames as given names; it does not have a separate etymology from the place name Dillingen.
How Popular is the Name Dillinger?
Dillinger has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2011. Its best rank was #3,123 in 2011.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,121 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #12,687 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #9,192 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #8,336 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #7,144 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #5,628 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #5,836 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #3,531 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2016 | #4,823 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #4,586 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #3,818 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2013 | #3,434 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2012 | #3,126 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2011 | #3,123 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2010 | #4,143 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2009 | #4,317 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2008 | #7,840 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #6,738 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #7,044 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #7,255 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #8,327 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #9,904 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #11,129 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #9,587 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #10,833 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #8,771 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #9,652 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #8,074 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #7,704 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Dillinger Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Dillinger's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dillinger's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.