Dingman
A surname most likely built from the personal name Ding plus the common man element, giving the sense of “Ding’s man” or a man associated with that name.
The #6,781 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,072 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually treated as a compound of the name Ding and the element -man, which in older surname formation can mean “man of,” “servant of,” or simply “person associated with.” The first element is less certain: in some cases it may come from a shortened personal name, while in others it may reflect Germanic name forms with Ding- or Dinger-. The overall sense is therefore likely relational rather than descriptive.
History
The surname appears in English-language records in North America by the 19th century, but the available historical references here do not explain its original family line. Similar forms such as Dinger and Dingwell show that Ding- names were known in older English and Germanic naming traditions. In modern usage, Dingman is most common in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old surname element -man often does not mean a job at all; in many names it simply marks a relationship, like “so-and-so’s man.”
From the historical record
“Melody^ are both found at Toronto, C.W. ; also ^Nlr. Peal; Mr. Chant and Mr. Ding, at Montreal. Mr. Dingman sailed for Havana, December, 1859. Mr. Richbell is buried in Westminster Abbey. Mr. Stampinbell, of Quebec, has, in his name, an odd union of sounds. Mr. Harp lives at Quebec ; Mr. Tone, at Montreal ; and Mr.…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)