NameCensus.

UK surname

Dagger

A surname referring to someone who created, sold or carried daggers.

In the 1881 census there were 459 people recorded with the Dagger surname, ranking it #7,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 600, ranked #8,721, down from #7,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Lytham and Lyncombe and Widcombe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fylde, Bath and North East Somerset and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dagger is 668 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.7%.

1881 census count

459

Ranked #7,225

Modern count

600

2016, ranked #8,721

Peak year

1911

668 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dagger had 459 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 600 in 2016, ranked #8,721.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 668 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dagger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dagger surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dagger 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
1851 historical 314 #7,361
1861 historical 320 #7,960
1881 historical 459 #7,225
1891 historical 546 #6,925
1901 historical 592 #7,144
1911 historical 668 #6,301
1997 modern 614 #8,019
1998 modern 636 #8,041
1999 modern 632 #8,139
2000 modern 630 #8,134
2001 modern 617 #8,120
2002 modern 632 #8,145
2003 modern 608 #8,244
2004 modern 604 #8,309
2005 modern 582 #8,450
2006 modern 596 #8,326
2007 modern 590 #8,464
2008 modern 616 #8,237
2009 modern 609 #8,494
2010 modern 598 #8,802
2011 modern 599 #8,708
2012 modern 581 #8,804
2013 modern 594 #8,809
2014 modern 605 #8,757
2015 modern 599 #8,750
2016 modern 600 #8,721

Geography

Back to top

Where Daggers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Lytham, Lyncombe and Widcombe, Preston and Bispham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fylde, Bath and North East Somerset and Mid Sussex. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Lytham Lancashire
3 Lyncombe and Widcombe Somerset
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Bispham Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fylde 002 Fylde
2 Bath and North East Somerset 015 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Bath and North East Somerset 020 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Mid Sussex 009 Mid Sussex
5 Fylde 007 Fylde

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dagger

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dagger

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dagger, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dagger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dagger household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dagger is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dagger is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dagger falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dagger 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 Dagger, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dagger

The surname Dagger is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "dæger," which means "dagger" or "knife." This occupational surname was likely given to someone who crafted or sold daggers during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dagger can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from the year 1230, where a certain William Dagger was mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also lists a John Daggere in Norfolk. These early records suggest that the surname was already well-established in various parts of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Dagger appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Dagger was listed. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 also mention a Thomas Dagger. These records provide further evidence of the widespread use of the surname across different regions of England during the medieval period.

The name Dagger has also been linked to various place names throughout England's history. For instance, the village of Daggeridge in Worcestershire is believed to have derived its name from the surname Dagger, suggesting that individuals with this surname may have been associated with this location.

Notable individuals with the surname Dagger include Sir Thomas Dagger, a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London during the 16th century (born around 1520, died in 1599). Another notable figure was John Dagger, a respected English clergyman and author who lived in the 17th century (born in 1615, died in 1689).

Other historical figures bearing the surname Dagger include William Dagger, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in the American colonies during the late 17th century (born around 1650, died in 1704), and Sir Edward Dagger, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars (born in 1780, died in 1856).

The surname Dagger has also been found in various spellings throughout history, such as Daggere, Dager, and Daggar, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in earlier times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dagger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dagger 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. Lancashire leads with 263 Daggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 263 4.97x
Somerset 86 11.99x
Wiltshire 25 6.34x
Middlesex 17 0.38x
Gloucestershire 15 1.72x
Monmouthshire 12 3.72x
Berkshire 9 2.69x
Midlothian 7 1.17x
Worcestershire 7 1.20x
Essex 5 0.57x
Pembrokeshire 5 3.53x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.08x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Herefordshire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 59 Daggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.69x.

Place Total Index
Preston 59 41.69x
Layton With Warbreck 31 159.71x
Bradford On Avon 21 166.40x
Salford 21 13.50x
Bathwick 15 188.92x
Lyncombe Widcombe 15 79.83x
Bristol St George 13 32.15x
Lytham 12 148.51x
Weeton With Preece 12 1846.15x
Westby With Plumpton 12 1463.41x
Bedminster 11 16.31x
Nateby 11 1833.33x
Clutton 10 641.03x
Walcot 10 26.16x
Barton In Preston 9 1578.95x
Bath St James 9 120.32x
Oldham 9 5.27x
Bath St Catherine 8 3809.52x
Carleton 8 1379.31x
Dilworth 7 216.05x
Dudley 7 9.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.50x
Hardhorn With Newton 6 923.08x
Kirkham 6 85.84x
Reading St Giles 6 18.28x
St George Bloomsbury 6 23.46x
Tottington Lower End 6 23.87x
Westminster St James 6 13.09x
Blackburn 5 3.55x
Eccleston In Chorley 5 364.96x
Garstang 5 420.17x
Pembroke St Mary 5 27.41x
Trevethin 5 16.43x
West Ham 5 2.57x
Westminster St John 5 9.21x
Dalton In Furness 4 19.59x
Ditteridge 4 2500.00x
Little Bolton 4 5.88x
Upper Llanvrechva 4 79.84x
Accrington 3 6.24x
Lower Llanvrechva 3 94.94x
Midsomer Norton 3 44.38x
Reading St Mary 3 11.19x
Singleton 3 555.56x
West Derby 3 1.94x
Bath St Peter St Paul 2 63.09x
Brindle 2 109.89x
Farmborough 2 155.04x
Goosnargh 2 116.96x
Pendleton In Salford 2 3.17x
Warton 2 327.87x
Aberdare 1 1.88x
Alston 1 40.65x
Barnsley 1 2.19x
Bramley In Bramley 1 5.91x
Bristol St James In 1 7.78x
Chadderton 1 3.87x
Clifton Cum Salwick 1 156.25x
Colinton 1 15.02x
Colwall 1 44.05x
Farnworth 1 3.16x
Fulwood 1 17.48x
Kirkland 1 204.08x
Marton 1 28.41x
Medlar With Wesham 1 62.89x
Newton 1 2.45x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 8.83x
Thornton In Fylde 1 8.64x
Toxteth Park 1 0.56x
Twerton 1 13.51x
Westbury On Trym 1 3.38x
Wigan 1 1.35x
Willington 1 13.05x
Winmarleigh 1 172.41x
Woodplumpton 1 52.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 22
Jane 20
Margaret 15
Alice 13
Ann 13
Sarah 11
Emma 7
Ellen 6
Isabella 5
Annie 4
Harriett 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Margt.E. 2
Rebecca 2
Susanna 2
Amelia 1
Annid 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Emly 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Henrieta 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kezia 1
Leonora 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
May 1
Nellie 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 38
Thomas 24
William 24
James 23
Richard 21
Henry 18
George 11
Robert 9
Charles 7
Alfred 5
Frederick 5
Albert 4
Edward 4
Arthur 3
Samuel 3
Christopher 2
Edmond 2
Joseph 2
Thos. 2
Andrew 1
Butler 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Irving 1
Jacob 1
Jesius 1
Jessie 1
Josiah 1
Luke 1
Moses 1
Oliver 1
Peter 1
Richards 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dagger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dagger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 459 people were recorded with the Dagger surname. That placed it at #7,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dagger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 600 in 2016. That gives Dagger a modern rank of #8,721.

What does the Dagger surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who created, sold or carried daggers.

What does the Dagger map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dagger 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.