NameCensus.

UK surname

Dale

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or dale.

In the 1881 census there were 12,648 people recorded with the Dale surname, ranking it #329 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,709, ranked #345, down from #329 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wolstanton and Astbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dale is 18,234 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.0%.

1881 census count

12,648

Ranked #329

Modern count

17,709

2016, ranked #345

Peak year

1999

18,234 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dale had 12,648 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #329 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,709 in 2016, ranked #345.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,767 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dale surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dale 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 8,266 #331
1861 historical 9,160 #298
1881 historical 12,648 #329
1891 historical 13,710 #313
1901 historical 15,598 #331
1911 historical 16,767 #285
1997 modern 16,852 #350
1998 modern 18,139 #337
1999 modern 18,234 #337
2000 modern 18,032 #339
2001 modern 17,539 #342
2002 modern 17,957 #340
2003 modern 17,646 #337
2004 modern 17,627 #336
2005 modern 17,315 #338
2006 modern 17,292 #337
2007 modern 17,356 #338
2008 modern 17,476 #336
2009 modern 17,881 #337
2010 modern 18,197 #340
2011 modern 17,969 #338
2012 modern 17,571 #341
2013 modern 17,900 #345
2014 modern 18,025 #344
2015 modern 17,795 #343
2016 modern 17,709 #345

Geography

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Where Dales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wolstanton, Astbury and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Astbury Cheshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 026 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 027 Cheshire East
3 Stoke-on-Trent 002 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dale

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dale is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dale is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dale falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dale

The surname Dale has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "dæl," which means "valley" or "dale." This name was likely given to people who lived near or in a valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dale can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "de Dale." This document was a survey of landholders in England, and the use of the name suggests that the Dale family had established itself by that time.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not mention the surname Dale directly. However, it does include references to place names such as Dalebury and Dalewood, which may have been the locations from which the surname originated.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including "Atte Dale," "de la Dale," and "de Dale." These variations reflect the influence of Norman French on the English language during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname Dale throughout history include:

1. Thomas Dale (c. 1570-1619), an English naval commander and acting Governor of the Virginia Colony in the early 17th century. 2. Samuel Dale (1659-1739), an English botanist and pioneering researcher in the field of entomology. 3. David Dale (1739-1806), a Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist who played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution. 4. Alan Dale (1925-2012), an English actor best known for his roles in television shows like "Neighbours" and "The O.C." 5. Jim Dale (born 1935), an English actor, voice artist, and singer, famous for his narration of the Harry Potter audiobook series.

The surname Dale has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Dale Abbey in Derbyshire, Dale Town in Shropshire, and Dale Head in Cumbria. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the geographical feature of a valley or dale.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dale 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,175 Dales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.78x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,175 1.78x
Staffordshire 1,280 3.07x
Cheshire 1,260 4.62x
Lancashire 1,116 0.76x
Middlesex 980 0.79x
Surrey 601 1.00x
Kent 472 1.12x
Warwickshire 438 1.41x
Durham 334 0.91x
Essex 334 1.37x
Suffolk 312 2.08x
Sussex 262 1.26x
Cornwall 250 1.79x
Lincolnshire 244 1.24x
Derbyshire 237 1.23x
Lanarkshire 212 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 188 1.13x
Ayrshire 158 1.71x
Hampshire 158 0.62x
Norfolk 155 0.82x
Leicestershire 154 1.13x
Oxfordshire 130 1.71x
Northumberland 101 0.55x
Herefordshire 91 1.80x
Gloucestershire 82 0.34x
Hertfordshire 78 0.92x
Northamptonshire 78 0.67x
Renfrewshire 57 0.60x
Cambridgeshire 56 0.72x
Wiltshire 50 0.46x
Worcestershire 49 0.30x
Glamorgan 44 0.20x
Shropshire 41 0.38x
Midlothian 35 0.21x
Angus 32 0.28x
Devon 30 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 25 0.34x
Somerset 25 0.13x
East Lothian 24 1.47x
Monmouthshire 24 0.27x
Rutland 24 2.65x
Berwickshire 23 1.54x
Flintshire 23 0.69x
Berkshire 22 0.24x
Channel Islands 20 0.55x
Bedfordshire 18 0.28x
Dorset 15 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 15 0.45x
Huntingdonshire 15 0.61x
Royal Navy 11 0.75x
Stirlingshire 11 0.24x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.09x
Cumberland 9 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 9 0.33x
Fife 9 0.12x
Denbighshire 8 0.17x
Radnorshire 8 0.80x
Montgomeryshire 7 0.25x
Isle of Man 4 0.17x
Merionethshire 4 0.18x
Wigtownshire 3 0.18x
Anglesey 2 0.09x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.11x
Roxburghshire 2 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.04x
Buteshire 1 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.03x
Perthshire 1 0.02x
West Lothian 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 232 Dales recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.25x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 232 5.25x
Congleton 154 32.71x
Wolstanton 150 11.85x
Macclesfield 135 11.15x
Birmingham 130 1.25x
Odd Rode 129 95.58x
Lambeth 120 1.11x
Nottingham St Mary 110 2.56x
Aston 100 1.17x
Kensington London 99 1.44x
St Pancras London 99 1.00x
Manchester 95 1.44x
Hulme 85 2.78x
Burslem 73 6.12x
West Ham 73 1.36x
Audley 70 16.98x
Stafford St Mary 68 11.53x
Camberwell 67 0.85x
Islington London 67 0.56x
Barony 65 0.64x
Battersea 65 1.43x
Nether Hallam 65 3.93x
Salford 62 1.44x
Danby 61 123.38x
Sheffield 58 1.49x
Croydon 55 1.65x
Leek Lowe 53 9.56x
Liverpool 53 0.60x
Stretford 51 6.33x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 50 20.62x
Govan 48 0.49x
Monks Coppenhall 48 4.67x
Wolverhampton 48 1.50x
Leeds 46 0.67x
Glasgow 45 0.63x
Paddington London 45 0.99x
Everton 44 0.94x
Skelton In Guisbrough 44 13.30x
Ecclesall Bierlow 43 1.73x
Chorlton On Medlock 42 1.81x
Mile End Old Town London 42 1.60x
Brightside Bierlow 41 1.71x
Hackney London 40 0.58x
Newington 40 0.88x
Norton In Moors 40 18.14x
St Marylebone London 40 0.61x
Beith 39 14.15x
Guisbrough 39 14.59x
Stockport 37 2.64x
Tattingstone 37 158.93x
Chelsea London 36 0.97x
Hammersmith London 36 1.18x
Hurdsfield 36 21.47x
Tynemouth 36 3.66x
Clifton In York 35 13.68x
Toxteth Park 35 0.71x
Bromley London 34 1.25x
Handsworth 34 10.51x
Brighton 33 0.79x
Helmsley 33 50.32x
Whitstable 33 15.97x
Oldham 32 0.68x
Sculcoates 31 1.60x
Ashton Under Lyne 30 0.94x
Harwich St Nicholas 30 15.94x
Holy Trinity 30 1.02x
Madron 30 26.57x
Bermondsey 29 0.79x
Bishopwearmouth 29 0.92x
Hipperholme Cum 29 5.40x
Shoreditch London 29 0.54x
Greenwich 28 1.42x
Hampstead London 28 1.46x
Monkwearmouth Shore 28 3.91x
Newcastle Under Lyme 28 3.80x
Stockton On Tees 28 1.58x
Barton Upon Irwell 27 2.45x
Great Yarmouth 27 1.72x
Leicester St Margaret 27 0.81x
Madron Penzance 27 5.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 792
Elizabeth 517
Sarah 455
Ann 246
Jane 234
Hannah 205
Eliza 197
Annie 191
Emma 188
Ellen 175
Alice 173
Emily 146
Margaret 113
Martha 106
Harriet 94
Fanny 80
Charlotte 76
Edith 76
Louisa 69
Maria 63
Clara 61
Ada 58
Frances 55
Florence 53
Lucy 53
Catherine 51
Anne 48
Kate 47
Caroline 46
Agnes 42
Harriett 39
Susan 36
Esther 32
Isabella 30
Amelia 29
Gertrude 29
Lily 29
Rose 28
Lilly 27
Rebecca 26
Minnie 24
Rachel 24
Amy 23
Julia 23
Lydia 23
Sophia 23
Eleanor 22
Elizth. 20
Grace 20
Laura 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 761
William 732
George 473
Thomas 395
James 359
Henry 233
Joseph 230
Charles 193
Robert 149
Arthur 139
Alfred 133
Edward 128
Samuel 110
Richard 89
Frederick 86
Walter 82
Harry 72
Albert 62
Frank 57
Ernest 50
Francis 50
Daniel 49
Herbert 44
Edwin 40
David 39
Peter 34
Wm. 32
Benjamin 29
Isaac 27
Fred 25
Stephen 24
Fredrick 19
Tom 19
Thos. 17
Christopher 16
Edmund 16
Leonard 16
Josiah 12
Geo. 11
Fredk. 10
Jonathan 10
Joshua 10
Percy 10
Philip 10
Ralph 10
Chas. 9
Elijah 9
Harold 9
Sydney 9
Jesse 8

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Dale households.

FAQ

Dale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,648 people were recorded with the Dale surname. That placed it at #329 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,709 in 2016. That gives Dale a modern rank of #345.

What does the Dale surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or dale.

What does the Dale map show?

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