NameCensus.

UK surname

Dallas

An English habitational surname indicating the individual originated from Dallas, a town in Moray, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 1,136 people recorded with the Dallas surname, ranking it #3,523 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,645, ranked #3,785, down from #3,523 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Nairn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Badenoch and Strathspey South, Penilee and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dallas is 1,645 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.8%.

1881 census count

1,136

Ranked #3,523

Modern count

1,645

2016, ranked #3,785

Peak year

2016

1,645 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dallas had 1,136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,523 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,645 in 2016, ranked #3,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,350 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dallas surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dallas surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dallas 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 810 #3,313
1861 historical 897 #3,086
1881 historical 1,136 #3,523
1891 historical 1,257 #3,432
1901 historical 1,350 #3,715
1911 historical 444 #8,598
1997 modern 1,455 #4,015
1998 modern 1,486 #4,086
1999 modern 1,506 #4,067
2000 modern 1,561 #3,933
2001 modern 1,496 #3,991
2002 modern 1,513 #4,042
2003 modern 1,475 #4,056
2004 modern 1,480 #4,051
2005 modern 1,454 #4,065
2006 modern 1,443 #4,098
2007 modern 1,490 #4,021
2008 modern 1,502 #4,026
2009 modern 1,524 #4,055
2010 modern 1,567 #4,034
2011 modern 1,548 #4,035
2012 modern 1,540 #3,988
2013 modern 1,580 #3,955
2014 modern 1,628 #3,881
2015 modern 1,630 #3,830
2016 modern 1,645 #3,785

Geography

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Where Dallas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Nairn, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Badenoch and Strathspey South, Penilee, Medway, Inverness East Rural and Nitshill. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Nairn Nairn
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Badenoch and Strathspey South Highland
2 Penilee Glasgow City
3 Medway 027 Medway
4 Inverness East Rural Highland
5 Nitshill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dallas

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dallas

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dallas 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

Dallas is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dallas 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 Dallas is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dallas, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dallas

The surname Dallas has its origins in Scotland and northern England. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word 'dail', meaning a meadow or a fertile valley. The name emerged as a locational surname, referring to people who lived in or near such a valley or meadow area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dallas can be traced back to the 12th century in Scotland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Willielmus de Doleys, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as de Dolas, Dolays, and Dolaies. These variations reflect the different spellings and pronunciations used in different regions of Scotland and northern England.

The name Dallas is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Dallas in Moray and Dallas in Ayrshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in their respective regions.

One notable figure in the history of the Dallas surname was Sir Robert Dallas (1756-1824), a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of St. Helena during Napoleon Bonaparte's exile on the island.

Another prominent bearer of the name was George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864), an American statesman who served as the 11th Vice President of the United States under James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849.

In the arts, the name is associated with the American writer and journalist Dallas Lore Sharp (1870-1941), known for his nature writings and stories for children.

The surname Dallas also has a connection to the city of Dallas, Texas, which was founded in 1841 and named after George Mifflin Dallas, who was Vice President at the time.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dallas include Alexander Robert Charles Dallas (1791-1869), a British writer and lawyer, and Sir Robert Dallas (1804-1857), a Scottish advocate and judge.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dallas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dallas 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 185 Dallas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.18x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 185 5.18x
Middlesex 132 1.20x
Midlothian 84 5.68x
Inverness-shire 77 23.37x
Aberdeenshire 68 6.66x
Angus 66 6.46x
Lancashire 51 0.39x
Renfrewshire 49 5.73x
Kincardineshire 45 33.49x
Nairnshire 40 118.76x
Caithness 39 25.82x
Fife 34 5.21x
Banffshire 30 13.11x
Hampshire 23 1.02x
Morayshire 23 13.42x
Ross-shire 20 6.60x
Surrey 15 0.28x
Argyllshire 13 4.23x
Yorkshire 13 0.12x
Cumberland 11 1.16x
Kent 11 0.29x
Northumberland 11 0.67x
Durham 9 0.27x
Lincolnshire 9 0.51x
Buckinghamshire 8 1.20x
Essex 8 0.37x
Wigtownshire 7 4.78x
Ayrshire 6 0.73x
Selkirkshire 5 5.01x
Dorset 4 0.55x
Stirlingshire 4 0.98x
Buteshire 3 4.49x
Herefordshire 3 0.66x
Norfolk 3 0.18x
Suffolk 3 0.22x
Clackmannanshire 2 2.19x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.67x
Northamptonshire 2 0.19x
Perthshire 2 0.40x
Shropshire 2 0.21x
Berkshire 1 0.12x
Berwickshire 1 0.75x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.07x
Sussex 1 0.05x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 76 Dallas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.42x.

Place Total Index
Barony 76 8.42x
Govan 62 7.03x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 54 9.08x
Inverness 46 55.51x
Glasgow 33 5.21x
Shoreditch London 28 5.85x
West Greenock 25 16.29x
Dundee 22 5.77x
Cawdor 20 487.80x
Dunnottar 19 201.06x
Kensington London 19 3.10x
Nairn 19 93.00x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 18 9.42x
Aberdeen Old Machar 15 7.03x
East Greenock 14 17.34x
Latheron 14 55.40x
Montrose 14 22.60x
Hackney London 13 2.10x
Liff Benvie 13 8.38x
Thurso 13 55.18x
Croy Dalcross 11 168.71x
Gartly 11 327.38x
Banff 10 50.30x
Brechin 10 24.89x
Islington London 10 0.94x
Edinburgh Canongate 9 23.93x
Edinburgh High Church 9 96.98x
Forres 9 49.94x
Kennoway 9 151.52x
Paddington London 9 2.22x
Parton 9 160.71x
Preston 9 2.57x
Scunthorpe 9 113.49x
Basingstoke 8 30.76x
Margate St John Baptist 8 11.61x
St Luke London 8 4.52x
St Marylebone London 8 1.36x
Benholm 7 121.32x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 6.73x
Burntisland 7 38.34x
Cupar 7 24.65x
Edinburgh Tolbooth 7 81.40x
Insch 7 120.48x
Iver 7 81.40x
Knockbain 7 98.73x
Limehouse London 7 5.78x
Mortlach 7 62.67x
Portsmouth 7 13.44x
Rosskeen 7 49.09x
Salford 7 1.82x
Stranraer 7 52.24x
Wick 7 14.35x
Aldershot 6 7.92x
Elgin 6 17.99x
Kilfinan 6 73.17x
Kingussie Insh 6 79.37x
Laurencekirk 6 77.12x
West Derby 6 1.57x
Alnwick 5 17.72x
Arbuthnott 5 163.40x
Battersea 5 1.23x
Beith 5 20.29x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.04x
Harrow 5 29.66x
Logie Pert 5 132.63x
Markinch 5 22.55x
New Monkland 5 4.74x
Strathdon 5 100.60x
Turriff 5 30.32x
Witton Le Wear 5 53.71x
Bothwell 4 4.13x
Bowmore 4 56.58x
Falkirk 4 4.20x
Galashiels 4 10.84x
Halkirk 4 39.14x
Hamilton 4 4.02x
Liverpool 4 0.50x
Pendleton In Salford 4 2.56x
Rathven 4 9.30x
Renfrew 4 14.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 11
Margaret 9
Annie 8
Ellen 8
Jane 6
Louisa 5
Ann 4
Charlotte 4
Emma 4
Edith 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Helen 3
Jessie 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Catherine 2
Elizh. 2
Georgina 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Janet 2
Lottie 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Betsy 1
Cecilia 1
Constance 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Fredariha 1
Hariet 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabela 1
Jamima 1
Kate 1
Lilias 1
Lilliad 1
Lizzie 1
Williamina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 21
William 16
James 14
Alexander 12
George 12
David 9
Richard 7
Robert 5
Charles 4
Henry 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Duncan 3
Hugh 3
Wm. 3
Herbert 2
Sidney 2
Alec 1
Arthur 1
Bostock 1
Constantine 1
Donald 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
J. 1
Jessie 1
Jno. 1
Julian 1
Mortimer 1
Percival 1
Rupert 1
Samuel 1
Simon 1
Stanley 1
Stewart 1
Stuart 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Waldron 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Dallas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dallas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,136 people were recorded with the Dallas surname. That placed it at #3,523 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dallas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,645 in 2016. That gives Dallas a modern rank of #3,785.

What does the Dallas surname mean?

An English habitational surname indicating the individual originated from Dallas, a town in Moray, Scotland.

What does the Dallas map show?

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