NameCensus.

UK surname

Dames

A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a dam or dike.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Dames surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, down from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Bourn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nottingham, Rushcliffe and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dames is 184 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.0%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

1891

184 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dames had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 184 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dames surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dames surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dames 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 171 #13,692
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 115 #20,951
1997 modern 85 #28,988
1998 modern 89 #29,026
1999 modern 99 #27,906
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 83 #30,070
2003 modern 87 #29,615
2004 modern 92 #29,197
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 122 #26,876
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Dames' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bourn, Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nottingham, Rushcliffe, Erewash and Broxtowe. 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 Kelso Roxburgh
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Bourn Lincolnshire
4 Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish Devon
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nottingham 014 Nottingham
2 Rushcliffe 003 Rushcliffe
3 Nottingham 011 Nottingham
4 Erewash 012 Erewash
5 Broxtowe 014 Broxtowe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dames

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dames

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dames 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

Dames 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dames

The surname DAMES is believed to have originated in France during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "dame," meaning "lady" or "woman of rank." The name was likely first used as a descriptive term for someone who worked in the household of a noblewoman or held a position of authority over other women.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus Dames in the county of Norfolk, England. This suggests that the name had already been adopted by Norman settlers in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the DAMES surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy. It was also found in parts of England where Norman influence was strong, including East Anglia and the Kent region.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the DAMES surname was Sir John Dames, a English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and served under King Edward III during the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of 1166, which mentions a landowner named William Dames in the county of Lincolnshire, England.

In the 16th century, the DAMES surname was associated with the village of Damerose in Somerset, England. This place name likely derived from a combination of the word "dame" and the Old English word "ros," meaning a small wood or thicket.

One of the most famous bearers of the DAMES surname was Sir William Dames, an English navigator and explorer who was born in 1560. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Virginia Colony in North America and served as the first governor of the colony from 1607 to 1609.

In the 17th century, the DAMES surname was also found in the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Dammes" or "Dammers." A notable figure from this time period was Joannes Dames, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived from 1636 to 1703.

As the DAMES surname spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Dams, Dammes, and Dammers. These variations reflect regional dialects and language influences, but all ultimately trace back to the original Old French word "dame."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dames families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dames 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. Middlesex leads with 26 Dames' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.98x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 26 3.98x
Roxburghshire 9 76.01x
Caernarfonshire 8 30.28x
Devon 8 5.88x
Surrey 4 1.26x
Lancashire 3 0.39x
Leicestershire 3 4.14x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.42x
Derbyshire 1 0.98x
Essex 1 0.78x
Kent 1 0.45x
Northamptonshire 1 1.63x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 14 Dames' recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.10x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 14 22.10x
Kelso 9 762.71x
Llandudno 8 851.06x
St Marylebone London 6 17.20x
Clapham 4 48.96x
Kenton 4 930.23x
Leicester St Martin 3 612.24x
St George Hanover Square 3 26.06x
St Luke London 3 28.63x
Tormoham 2 34.72x
Chislehurst 1 83.33x
Chorley 1 22.99x
Crich 1 149.25x
East Broughton 1 454.55x
Elm 1 243.90x
Golborne 1 99.01x
Lenton 1 48.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 9.54x
Prittlewell 1 55.87x
South Molton 1 133.33x
West Haddon 1 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elfreida 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Isabelle 1
James 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Herbert 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo.Bower 1
George 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
James 1

FAQ

Dames surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dames surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Dames surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dames surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Dames a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Dames surname mean?

A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a dam or dike.

What does the Dames map show?

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