NameCensus.

UK surname

Daily

Derived from a nickname referring to a cheerful or lively disposition, or from a place name meaning "day clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 778 people recorded with the Daily surname, ranking it #4,768 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 281, ranked #15,449, down from #4,768 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Three Rivers, Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Daily is 778 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 63.9%.

1881 census count

778

Ranked #4,768

Modern count

281

2016, ranked #15,449

Peak year

1881

778 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Daily had 778 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,768 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016, ranked #15,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 778 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Daily surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Daily surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Daily 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 591 #4,326
1861 historical 720 #3,780
1881 historical 778 #4,768
1891 historical 557 #6,807
1901 historical 367 #10,076
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 215 #16,844
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 228 #16,743
2001 modern 214 #17,211
2002 modern 213 #17,603
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 206 #17,883
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 212 #17,612
2007 modern 224 #17,193
2008 modern 224 #17,337
2009 modern 224 #17,685
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 233 #17,339
2013 modern 247 #16,935
2014 modern 257 #16,598
2015 modern 264 #16,186
2016 modern 281 #15,449

Geography

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Where Dailys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Three Rivers, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Derbyshire Dales and Kirklees. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Three Rivers 012 Three Rivers
2 Bridgend 010 Bridgend
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 001 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales
5 Kirklees 018 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Daily

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Daily

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Daily surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Daily household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Daily is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Daily is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Daily falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Daily

The surname DAILY originated in England and is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "daeg" meaning "day". It refers to someone who worked as a dairyman or milker of cows, denoting their daily occupation.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, where a Walter le Dayeman was listed in 1182. This early spelling variation highlights the occupational nature of the name.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Richard le Daye in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1262 and William le Daye in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Daye, a printer and publisher in London during the 16th century. He was granted a patent by Queen Elizabeth I in 1583 to print certain types of books.

In the 17th century, the DAILY surname was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where Thomas Daily was recorded in the parish records of Slaughter in 1621.

A notable bearer of the name was Benjamin Daily (1635-1697), an English Quaker preacher and writer who traveled extensively in the American colonies, spreading the Quaker faith.

In the 18th century, the name continued to appear in various English records, such as the marriage of John Daily and Sarah Collett in Wiltshire in 1717.

A prominent figure with the DAILY surname was Sir Cavendish Daily (1769-1846), a British naval officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his service.

Another significant individual was William Daily (1786-1875), an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Exchange in Manchester.

As the name spread throughout the British Isles and later to other parts of the world through immigration, variations in spelling emerged, such as Dayley, Dayly, and Dailey.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Daily families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Daily 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. Lanarkshire leads with 216 Dailys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.82x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 216 8.82x
Lancashire 67 0.75x
Middlesex 61 0.81x
Renfrewshire 58 9.89x
Midlothian 56 5.52x
Angus 48 6.84x
Yorkshire 33 0.44x
Surrey 23 0.62x
Dunbartonshire 20 9.83x
Durham 17 0.75x
Fife 17 3.79x
Glamorgan 17 1.29x
Hampshire 16 1.03x
Northumberland 16 1.42x
Cumberland 14 2.15x
Ayrshire 10 1.77x
Argyllshire 9 4.27x
Warwickshire 9 0.47x
Kent 8 0.31x
Monmouthshire 8 1.46x
Staffordshire 8 0.31x
Gloucestershire 7 0.47x
Norfolk 5 0.43x
Wiltshire 4 0.60x
Dumfriesshire 3 1.79x
Flintshire 3 1.47x
Inverness-shire 3 1.33x
Perthshire 3 0.88x
Ross-shire 3 1.44x
Cheshire 2 0.12x
Devon 2 0.13x
Anglesey 1 0.75x
Banffshire 1 0.64x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.31x
Cornwall 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.20x
Essex 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.91x
Stirlingshire 1 0.36x
Wigtownshire 1 0.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 49 Dailys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.09x.

Place Total Index
Govan 49 8.09x
Glasgow 40 9.20x
Barony 37 5.97x
Dundee 24 9.17x
Abbey 20 22.34x
Liff Benvie 19 17.85x
Cadder 16 88.50x
South Leith 16 14.02x
Rutherglen 15 41.76x
Shotts 13 44.38x
St Luke London 13 10.71x
New Kilpatrick 11 56.85x
East Greenock 10 18.05x
Old Monkland 10 10.29x
Rawmarsh 10 37.74x
Spotland 10 10.01x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 12.62x
Hamilton 9 13.18x
Inveresk 9 32.77x
Leamington Priors 9 19.16x
Aberystruth 8 16.58x
Cumbernauld 8 71.75x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 1.96x
Kilbarchan 8 44.89x
Middlesbrough 8 8.19x
Portsea 8 2.63x
Walsall Borough 8 40.34x
Walton On Hill 8 16.44x
Atherton 7 21.41x
Bristol St Augustine 7 29.22x
Cowpen 7 27.00x
Dunfermline 7 10.16x
East Kilbride 7 66.79x
Kilmarnock 7 10.38x
Liverpool 7 1.28x
Paisley High Church 7 14.99x
Rotherhithe 7 7.48x
St Pancras London 7 1.15x
Workington 7 18.76x
Cambusnethan 6 11.04x
Kirkcaldy 6 27.00x
Knapdale South 6 82.87x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 6 8.92x
Romsey Infra 6 114.07x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 3.94x
St Marylebone London 6 1.48x
Ystradyfodwg 6 5.19x
Bobbing 5 409.84x
Bow London 5 5.19x
Edinburgh Greenside 5 37.31x
Islington London 5 0.68x
Maryhill 5 10.43x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 11.37x
Neilston 5 16.98x
Newington 5 1.79x
Norwich St John Timberhill 5 159.74x
Sculcoates 5 4.20x
Caldewgate 4 11.20x
Corstorphine 4 71.56x
Escomb 4 38.65x
Merthyr Dovan 4 1538.46x
Mile End Old Town London 4 2.48x
North Leith 4 8.52x
Renfrew 4 20.65x
Salisbury St Thomas 4 75.47x
Southwick 4 18.75x
St Vigeans 4 10.57x
Swansea Town 4 3.70x
Bothwell 3 4.52x
Campbeltown 3 11.80x
Crieff 3 23.75x
Darfield 3 43.92x
Dysart 3 9.94x
Edinburgh Trinity 3 92.02x
Great Bolton 3 2.52x
Inverness 3 5.28x
Linthorpe 3 6.70x
Salford 3 1.14x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.25x
Whitechapel London 3 4.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Ellen 13
Margaret 13
Elizabeth 12
Catherine 9
Jane 9
Sarah 8
Ann 5
Emily 5
Maria 5
Alice 4
Florence 4
Annie 3
Bridget 3
Agnes 2
Eleanor 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Margrett 2
Martha 2
Polly 2
Susan 2
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Eliza 1
Elizebth. 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Esisabeth 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Gwen 1
Hanah 1
Harriett 1
Jennie 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
John 1
Katy 1
Lucy 1
Maude 1
Nellie 1
Oner 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 18
James 14
Thomas 10
George 7
Charles 6
Patrick 6
Joseph 5
Michael 5
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Daniel 3
Anthony 2
Bernard 2
Cornelius 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Albert 1
Aloysius 1
Andrew 1
Arther 1
Brian 1
Chas 1
David 1
Denis 1
Dennis 1
Ferdinand 1
Frederick 1
Jack 1
Jim 1
Larence 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Maurice 1
Michal 1
Partrick 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Theophilus 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Zecriah 1

FAQ

Daily surname: questions and answers

How common was the Daily surname in 1881?

In 1881, 778 people were recorded with the Daily surname. That placed it at #4,768 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Daily surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016. That gives Daily a modern rank of #15,449.

What does the Daily surname mean?

Derived from a nickname referring to a cheerful or lively disposition, or from a place name meaning "day clearing."

What does the Daily map show?

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