NameCensus.

UK surname

Dalgleish

A Scottish locational surname referring to someone from the parish of Dalkeith in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 1,415 people recorded with the Dalgleish surname, ranking it #2,937 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,708, ranked #3,652, down from #2,937 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melrose, Hawick and Wilton and Selkirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gorebridge and Middleton, Hawick West End and Hawick Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dalgleish is 1,738 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.7%.

1881 census count

1,415

Ranked #2,937

Modern count

1,708

2016, ranked #3,652

Peak year

1901

1,738 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dalgleish had 1,415 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,937 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,708 in 2016, ranked #3,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,738 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dalgleish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dalgleish surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dalgleish 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 745 #3,545
1861 historical 794 #3,470
1881 historical 1,415 #2,937
1891 historical 1,509 #2,922
1901 historical 1,738 #2,983
1911 historical 351 #10,243
1997 modern 1,562 #3,781
1998 modern 1,624 #3,785
1999 modern 1,658 #3,745
2000 modern 1,680 #3,679
2001 modern 1,645 #3,680
2002 modern 1,650 #3,734
2003 modern 1,597 #3,771
2004 modern 1,599 #3,789
2005 modern 1,595 #3,740
2006 modern 1,597 #3,745
2007 modern 1,609 #3,749
2008 modern 1,643 #3,710
2009 modern 1,683 #3,716
2010 modern 1,722 #3,707
2011 modern 1,697 #3,705
2012 modern 1,612 #3,822
2013 modern 1,663 #3,777
2014 modern 1,685 #3,745
2015 modern 1,687 #3,714
2016 modern 1,708 #3,652

Geography

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Where Dalgleishs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melrose, Hawick and Wilton, Selkirk, Edinburgh and Kirkhope with Yarrow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gorebridge and Middleton, Hawick West End, Hawick Central, Berwickshire East and Corstorphine. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Melrose Roxburgh
2 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
3 Selkirk Selkirk
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kirkhope with Yarrow Selkirk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gorebridge and Middleton Midlothian
2 Hawick West End Scottish Borders
3 Hawick Central Scottish Borders
4 Berwickshire East Scottish Borders
5 Corstorphine City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dalgleish

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dalgleish

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dalgleish, 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 Dalgleish surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dalgleish 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dalgleish is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dalgleish is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dalgleish 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 Dalgleish 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 Dalgleish, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dalgleish

The surname Dalgleish is of Scottish origin, originating in the Scottish Borders region. It is a habitation name derived from the lands of Dalgleish, which is located in the parish of Wilton, near Hawick in Roxburghshire. The name is believed to come from the Gaelic words 'dail' meaning field or meadow, and 'glais' meaning stream or brook, referring to the geographical features of the area.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing as 'de Dolglesshe' in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. This suggests that the Dalgleish family was well-established in the area by that time.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1537 as 'Dalgleis'. The Dalgleish family was granted lands in the area by the Earl of Douglas, and they played a significant role in the local history and politics of the Scottish Borders region.

One notable figure with the surname Dalgleish was William Dalgleish (1722-1785), a Scottish landowner and entrepreneur who established the first commercial nursery in Scotland. He was a pioneer in the cultivation of fruit trees and introduced new varieties to the country.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Ogilvy Dalgleish (1832-1913), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was a generous benefactor to various charitable causes, including the establishment of the Dalgleish Trust to support education and medical research.

In the world of literature, George Dalgleish (1853-1926) was a Scottish poet and journalist known for his works in the Scots dialect. His most famous collection, 'Sangs o' the Heather,' celebrated the beauty of the Scottish landscape and rural life.

The name Dalgleish has also been associated with the military. Major-General Sir Edward Bruce Hay Dalgleish (1891-1970) was a British Army officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery.

Lastly, John Dalgleish (1886-1961) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the former headquarters of the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society and the Hillhead High School.

Overall, the surname Dalgleish has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Borders region, with notable individuals spanning various fields such as agriculture, business, literature, military, and architecture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dalgleish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dalgleish 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. Midlothian leads with 378 Dalgleishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.49x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 378 21.49x
Selkirkshire 147 123.75x
Lanarkshire 100 2.35x
Roxburghshire 96 40.37x
Peeblesshire 66 106.87x
East Lothian 64 36.80x
Stirlingshire 62 12.80x
Dumfriesshire 58 20.00x
Berwickshire 42 26.42x
Ayrshire 33 3.36x
Surrey 33 0.52x
Middlesex 29 0.22x
Fife 28 3.60x
Renfrewshire 27 2.65x
Northumberland 24 1.23x
Lancashire 21 0.13x
Cumberland 19 1.68x
Angus 16 1.32x
West Lothian 10 5.06x
Glamorgan 8 0.35x
Hampshire 7 0.26x
Monmouthshire 7 0.74x
Perthshire 7 1.19x
Shetland 6 4.47x
Buteshire 5 6.28x
Devon 5 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 5 1.42x
Durham 5 0.13x
Sussex 5 0.23x
Argyllshire 4 1.09x
Kent 4 0.09x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 2.10x
Brecknockshire 3 1.14x
Staffordshire 3 0.07x
Yorkshire 3 0.02x
Northamptonshire 2 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.18x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.11x
Isle of Man 1 0.41x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Morayshire 1 0.49x
Radnorshire 1 0.94x
Suffolk 1 0.06x
Warwickshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 81 Dalgleishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.45x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 81 11.45x
South Leith 78 39.41x
North Leith 54 66.34x
Selkirk 48 143.41x
Galashiels 43 97.91x
Melrose 34 113.71x
Barony 32 2.98x
Dalkeith 30 86.46x
Cockpen 26 126.46x
Hawick 25 46.97x
Peebles 25 136.99x
Innerleithen 22 134.23x
Auckinleck 18 59.17x
Dunbar 18 73.83x
Edinburgh Canongate 17 37.97x
Yarrow 17 590.28x
Dunfermline 16 13.39x
Edinburgh St Stephens 16 46.20x
Glasgow 16 2.12x
Govan 16 1.52x
Kelso 16 67.51x
Prestonkirk 16 183.91x
Wandsworth 15 11.87x
Langholm 14 67.15x
Chelsea London 13 3.29x
Dundee 13 2.86x
Falkirk 13 11.47x
Liberton 12 44.20x
Annan 11 44.16x
Barrow In Furness 11 5.19x
Berwick Upon Tweed 11 26.58x
Drumelzier 11 1182.80x
Alva 10 43.29x
Caldewgate 10 16.14x
Coldstream 10 86.88x
Eastwood 10 15.96x
Canonbie 9 73.05x
Duddingston 9 25.49x
Edinburgh Old Church 9 63.74x
Gladsmuir 9 116.13x
Kippen 9 138.04x
Lambeth 9 0.79x
Muiravonside 9 73.17x
Roxburgh 9 197.80x
Melrose 8 38.91x
Morebattle 8 175.82x
St Ninians 8 16.67x
Uphall 8 36.80x
Abbey 7 4.51x
Cadder 7 22.32x
Carluke 7 18.15x
Cupar 7 20.71x
Ednam 7 251.80x
Hornsey 7 4.22x
Mertoun 7 227.27x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 6.91x
Swansea Town 7 3.73x
Traquair 7 204.68x
Wilton 7 26.82x
Aberlady 6 133.04x
Carrington 6 218.18x
Cummertrees 6 121.95x
Edinburgh Greenside 6 25.82x
Greenlaw 6 106.57x
Hutton 6 137.61x
St Cuthbert W O 6 10.89x
St Mary Extra 6 27.70x
Tingwall 6 89.55x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 1.47x
Bedwellty 5 2.98x
Castleton 5 48.92x
Crawford 5 63.13x
Earlston 5 62.81x
Edinburgh New 5 36.60x
Kirkhope 5 203.25x
Stewarton 5 25.72x
Tranent 5 21.28x
Exeter Holy Trinity 4 37.35x
Lowick 4 58.82x
Morven 4 105.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Agnes 5
Isabella 5
Alice 4
Annie 3
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Helen 3
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Hellen 2
Janet 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Anne 1
Christiana 1
Deborah 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Joanner 1
Kathrine 1
Lettice 1
Lucy 1
Maud 1
Miney 1
Rebecca 1
Wm. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 14
James 10
George 8
Thomas 8
Robert 7
Henry 5
Hugh 4
Walter 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Archibald 2
Peter 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Ralph 1
Rechab 1
Simon 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Dalgleish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dalgleish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,415 people were recorded with the Dalgleish surname. That placed it at #2,937 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dalgleish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,708 in 2016. That gives Dalgleish a modern rank of #3,652.

What does the Dalgleish surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname referring to someone from the parish of Dalkeith in Scotland.

What does the Dalgleish map show?

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