NameCensus.

UK surname

Dalzell

A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic term meaning "bright" or "shining valley".

In the 1881 census there were 386 people recorded with the Dalzell surname, ranking it #8,165 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 810, ranked #6,839, up from #8,165 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tinwald, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Keppochhill, South Lakeland and Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dalzell is 831 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 109.8%.

1881 census count

386

Ranked #8,165

Modern count

810

2016, ranked #6,839

Peak year

2010

831 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dalzell had 386 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,165 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 810 in 2016, ranked #6,839.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 513 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dalzell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dalzell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dalzell 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 318 #7,293
1861 historical 322 #7,911
1881 historical 386 #8,165
1891 historical 460 #7,953
1901 historical 513 #7,901
1911 historical 389 #9,470
1997 modern 747 #6,905
1998 modern 776 #6,925
1999 modern 768 #7,006
2000 modern 794 #6,816
2001 modern 770 #6,842
2002 modern 788 #6,856
2003 modern 774 #6,840
2004 modern 797 #6,687
2005 modern 772 #6,800
2006 modern 772 #6,826
2007 modern 776 #6,866
2008 modern 764 #6,999
2009 modern 811 #6,810
2010 modern 831 #6,817
2011 modern 802 #6,935
2012 modern 793 #6,888
2013 modern 809 #6,885
2014 modern 821 #6,832
2015 modern 812 #6,843
2016 modern 810 #6,839

Geography

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Where Dalzells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tinwald, London parishes, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Keppochhill, South Lakeland, Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood and Sunderland. 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 Tinwald Dumfries
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Keppochhill Glasgow City
2 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
3 Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood South Lanarkshire
4 Sunderland 021 Sunderland
5 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dalzell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dalzell

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dalzell 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

Dalzell 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

Dalzell falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dalzell

The surname Dalzell has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dael" meaning "valley" and "sele" meaning "hall" or "dwelling place," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a person living in a valley or a particular location.

The name Dalzell is closely associated with the Dalzell family, a prominent Scottish clan from Lanarkshire. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Robert de Dalzell is listed among these landowners.

In the 14th century, the Dalzell family acquired lands in the parish of Dalzell, near the town of Motherwell in Lanarkshire. This area is believed to have been the source of their surname, with their estate becoming known as the Barony of Dalzell. The family's ancestral seat was the Dalzell House, a historic manor that dates back to the 16th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Dalzell include Sir Robert Dalzell (1550-1636), who was appointed Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland in 1628. Another prominent figure was General Thomas Dalzell (1615-1685), a Scottish Royalist officer who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was known for his brutality in suppressing the Covenanters.

In the 18th century, Lord John Dalzell (1679-1753) served as a Scottish judge and was appointed Lord of Session in 1726. His son, Robert Dalzell (1705-1765), was a British Army officer who fought in the Seven Years' War and became a Member of Parliament for Lanarkshire.

The Dalzell family also has connections to the United States, with James Dalzell (1783-1868) being a Scottish-American merchant and landowner who settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century. His descendants played influential roles in the city's development and included several prominent lawyers and politicians.

Throughout history, variations of the Dalzell surname have included Dalziel, Dalsiel, and Dalyell, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times. However, the core elements of the name, rooted in the Scottish landscape and the legacy of the Dalzell clan, have endured, making it a distinctive part of Scottish heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dalzell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dalzell 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. Cumberland leads with 80 Dalzells recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.61x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 80 24.61x
Lancashire 79 1.76x
Lanarkshire 46 3.77x
Kirkcudbrightshire 17 31.11x
Surrey 13 0.71x
Westmorland 13 15.67x
Durham 12 1.07x
Midlothian 12 2.37x
Devon 10 1.27x
Dumfriesshire 10 11.99x
Yorkshire 10 0.27x
Shetland 9 23.35x
Warwickshire 9 0.95x
Middlesex 7 0.19x
Suffolk 7 1.52x
Ayrshire 6 2.12x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.18x
Renfrewshire 6 2.05x
Buckinghamshire 5 2.19x
Huntingdonshire 5 6.67x
Worcestershire 5 1.01x
Berkshire 3 1.06x
Hampshire 3 0.39x
Roxburghshire 3 4.39x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.57x
Essex 2 0.27x
Somerset 2 0.33x
Wigtownshire 2 3.99x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.42x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Isle of Man 1 1.43x

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 14 Dalzells recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.53x.

Place Total Index
Barony 14 4.53x
Kendal 11 72.42x
Glasgow 10 4.61x
Liverpool 10 3.68x
Aston 9 3.43x
Govan 9 2.98x
Borgue 8 544.22x
Buittle 8 625.00x
Cambusnethan 7 25.81x
Exning 7 301.72x
Halewood 7 291.67x
Hethersgill 7 921.05x
Huyton With Roby 7 133.33x
Papcastle 7 769.23x
Parton 7 364.58x
West Derby 7 5.34x
Briery Cottages 6 5000.00x
Broughton In Salford 6 14.65x
Camberwell 6 2.49x
Dovenby 6 2068.97x
Great Clifton 6 476.19x
Halifax 6 10.93x
Heap 6 25.25x
Hensingham 6 225.56x
Langwathby 6 1363.64x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 27.37x
Nottingham St Nicholas 6 86.58x
Tingwall 6 310.88x
Bishopwearmouth 5 5.19x
Everton 5 3.50x
Farnham Royal 5 370.37x
Great Malvern 5 48.59x
Middlebie 5 200.00x
Moss Side 5 21.21x
North Leith 5 21.37x
Oldham 5 3.46x
St Neots 5 122.85x
Whitehaven 5 28.87x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 4 256.41x
Inverkip 4 57.97x
Nether Hallam 4 7.90x
Oughterside Allerby 4 615.38x
Tormoham 4 12.03x
Workington 4 21.49x
Alverdiscott 3 857.14x
Battersea 3 2.16x
Bow London 3 6.24x
Carnwath 3 39.74x
Dalton In Furness 3 17.35x
East Stonehouse 3 19.38x
Edinburgh Tolbooth 3 102.04x
Godstone 3 90.91x
Hoddam 3 149.25x
Millom 3 30.12x
Orrell 3 53.86x
Preston 3 2.50x
Ulverston 3 22.99x
Wilton 3 40.00x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 3.06x
Avondale 2 28.01x
Chigwell 2 28.45x
Crewkerne 2 31.01x
Duddingston 2 19.70x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 0.98x
Islington London 2 0.55x
Kilbirnie 2 29.50x
Lambourn 2 71.17x
Levens 2 163.93x
Moresby 2 161.29x
Nether Wasdale 2 800.00x
Orton 2 338.98x
Sorn 2 36.04x
Walls 2 106.95x
West Greenock 2 3.81x
Whithorn 2 52.36x
Cleator 1 7.39x
Kirkdale 1 1.33x
Maughold 1 18.48x
Seaton 1 26.39x
Westoe 1 1.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 12
Margaret 9
Sarah 8
Annie 7
Emily 7
Isabella 6
Jane 6
Ann 4
Emma 4
Esther 4
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Frances 3
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Bets 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothy 1
Eda 1
Ella 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Hilda 1
Ida 1
Ivy 1
Jessie 1
Lilian 1
Lillian 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Margt.A. 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 13
James 12
Robert 11
Samuel 8
Joseph 6
Alfred 5
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
George 3
Hugh 3
Alexander 2
Anthony 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Johnstone 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Allan 1
Anturian 1
David 1
Donald 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jackson 1
Matthew 1
Pulrency 1
Reginald 1
Rudolph 1
Sam 1
Thos.H. 1
Tom 1
W.Hall 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Dalzell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dalzell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 386 people were recorded with the Dalzell surname. That placed it at #8,165 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dalzell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 810 in 2016. That gives Dalzell a modern rank of #6,839.

What does the Dalzell surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic term meaning "bright" or "shining valley".

What does the Dalzell map show?

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