NameCensus.

UK surname

Damen

A surname derived from the Dutch word "dame" meaning "lady" or "noblewoman".

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Damen surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Moreton, Broadway and Portisham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Kirklees and Purbeck.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Damen is 234 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.8%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1911

234 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Damen had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 234 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Damen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Damen surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Damen 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 203 #14,969
1911 historical 234 #13,526
1997 modern 209 #17,157
1998 modern 213 #17,431
1999 modern 209 #17,771
2000 modern 213 #17,503
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 199 #18,350
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 211 #17,856
2008 modern 219 #17,597
2009 modern 216 #18,120
2010 modern 212 #18,726
2011 modern 220 #18,096
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 226 #17,969
2014 modern 227 #18,029
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

Back to top

Where Damens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Moreton, Broadway, Portisham, London parishes and Melcombe Regis. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Kirklees, Purbeck and Weymouth and Portland. 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 Moreton Dorset
2 Broadway Dorset
3 Portisham Dorset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Melcombe Regis Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 004 West Dorset
2 Kirklees 023 Kirklees
3 Purbeck 003 Purbeck
4 West Dorset 012 West Dorset
5 Weymouth and Portland 002 Weymouth and Portland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Damen

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Damen

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Damen is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Damen is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Damen falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Damen

The surname Damen originated in the Dutch provinces of North and South Holland during medieval times. It is derived from the Dutch word "damme," meaning "dam" or "dike," indicating that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a dam or worked in occupations related to water management.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Damen surname can be found in the Leiden Archives, which date back to the 13th century. Here, a certain Gerrit Damen is mentioned as a resident of Leiden in 1283. The name also appears in various other Dutch historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, often spelled as "Damme" or "Dammen."

During the 16th century, the Damen surname gained prominence with the rise of Willem Damen (1510-1589), a Dutch theologian and Catholic priest who played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation movement. He founded the Collegium Germanicum in Rome, an educational institution aimed at training priests for the evangelization of Protestant regions.

In the 17th century, the Damen name was associated with the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great economic and cultural prosperity in the Netherlands. Cornelis Damen (1624-1679) was a renowned Dutch Golden Age painter, known for his portraits and genre scenes depicting everyday life.

Another notable figure bearing the Damen surname was Arnold Damen (1815-1890), a Dutch-American Catholic priest and missionary. He founded several churches and educational institutions in the United States, including the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

In the 19th century, Damen became a prominent name in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) due to the involvement of the Damen family in the shipping industry. One of the most successful members of this family was Johan Damen (1829-1905), who established the Damen Shipyards, which remains a leading shipbuilding company to this day.

Other notable individuals with the Damen surname include Henri Damen (1892-1958), a Dutch artist known for his Cubist and Expressionist works, and Gert-Jan Damen (born 1957), a Dutch professional football player and manager who represented the Netherlands national team in the 1980s.

While the Damen surname originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Dutch emigration and colonization. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval Dutch provinces, where it emerged as a name associated with water management and dam construction.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Damen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Damen 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. Dorset leads with 108 Damens recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.15x.

County Total Index
Dorset 108 123.15x
Wiltshire 14 11.85x
Middlesex 5 0.37x
Hampshire 3 1.10x
Lancashire 3 0.19x
Surrey 3 0.46x
Somerset 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Puddletown in Dorset leads with 19 Damens recorded in 1881 and an index of 3518.52x.

Place Total Index
Puddletown 19 3518.52x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 18 2535.21x
Buckland Ripers 12 17142.86x
Salisbury St Edmund 10 526.32x
Portisham 9 2727.27x
Morden 7 1891.89x
Winfrith Newburgh 7 1590.91x
Buckland Newton 5 1282.05x
Westminster St John 5 30.73x
Chideock 4 1290.32x
Fordington 4 211.64x
Wool 4 1739.13x
Aldershot 3 32.72x
Corfe Castle 3 370.37x
Godmanstone 3 3750.00x
Lambeth 3 2.57x
Steeple 3 2307.69x
Toxteth Park 3 5.59x
Kingston Russell 2 6666.67x
Portland 2 42.37x
Walditch 2 2222.22x
Warminster 2 77.22x
Beaminster 1 103.09x
Bradford Peverell 1 666.67x
Gillingham 1 66.23x
Salisbury St Thomas 1 106.38x
Somerton 1 113.64x
Wareham Holy Trinity 1 263.16x
West Ashton 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 7
George 6
Joseph 6
Charles 5
Frederick 3
Charlie 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
James 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Asher 1
Austin 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Hy.Lovell 1
Infant 1
Lawrence 1
Levi 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Sydney 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Damen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Damen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Damen surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Damen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Damen a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Damen surname mean?

A surname derived from the Dutch word "dame" meaning "lady" or "noblewoman".

What does the Damen map show?

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