NameCensus.

UK surname

Danbury

From an English place name denoting someone who hailed from Danbury, a town in Essex.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Danbury surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 257, ranked #16,485, up from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bladon, London parishes and Southampton St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewes, South Bucks and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Danbury is 291 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 133.6%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

1998

291 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Danbury had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 265 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Danbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Danbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Danbury 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 265 #9,355
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 265 #12,208
1901 historical 174 #16,520
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 260 #14,880
1998 modern 291 #14,155
1999 modern 274 #14,826
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 273 #14,614
2002 modern 274 #14,849
2003 modern 256 #15,377
2004 modern 260 #15,309
2005 modern 257 #15,365
2006 modern 256 #15,496
2007 modern 262 #15,399
2008 modern 263 #15,505
2009 modern 272 #15,475
2010 modern 285 #15,276
2011 modern 283 #15,193
2012 modern 261 #16,041
2013 modern 270 #15,911
2014 modern 266 #16,213
2015 modern 262 #16,278
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

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Where Danburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bladon, London parishes, Southampton St Mary, Lambeth and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewes, South Bucks, Central Bedfordshire, Wycombe and Walsall. 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 Bladon Oxfordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewes 013 Lewes
2 South Bucks 001 South Bucks
3 Central Bedfordshire 010 Central Bedfordshire
4 Wycombe 002 Wycombe
5 Walsall 038 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Danbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Danbury

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Danbury is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Danbury is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Danbury

The surname Danbury is of English origin, deriving from the town of Danbury in Essex, England. The name is thought to have originated in the late Anglo-Saxon period, around the 10th or 11th century.

The name Danbury is a locational surname, meaning it was originally given to someone who came from or lived in the town of Danbury. The name itself is derived from the Old English words "denu" meaning "valley" and "burg" meaning "fortified town or dwelling place."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Danbury can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Denesberia." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, a man named William de Danbury is recorded as holding lands in Danbury, Essex. This is one of the earliest known examples of the surname being used by an individual.

Another notable figure with the surname Danbury was John Danbury, who was born in 1536 and served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex in 1572 and 1584.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a man named Thomas Danbury fought on the Parliamentarian side and was killed in battle in 1645.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Samuel Danbury was a successful merchant and landowner in Chelmsford, Essex. He was born in 1710 and died in 1792.

Another individual of note was Sir John Danbury, a British naval officer who was born in 1783 and served during the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1831.

While the name Danbury has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to North America and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Danbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Danbury 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. Oxfordshire leads with 50 Danburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.46x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 50 75.46x
Middlesex 13 1.21x
Lancashire 10 0.79x
Berkshire 9 11.17x
Nottinghamshire 6 4.15x
Lincolnshire 5 2.91x
Devon 3 1.34x
Yorkshire 3 0.28x
Cheshire 2 0.84x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.54x
Derbyshire 1 0.60x
Dorset 1 1.42x
Essex 1 0.47x
Hampshire 1 0.45x
Kent 1 0.27x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.93x
Staffordshire 1 0.28x
Surrey 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bladon in Oxfordshire leads with 18 Danburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7826.09x.

Place Total Index
Bladon 18 7826.09x
Clewer 9 272.73x
Pendleton In Salford 7 46.14x
Kensington London 6 10.06x
Duns Tew 5 4545.45x
Headington 5 485.44x
Nottingham St Mary 5 13.37x
Oxford St Thomas 5 161.81x
Cowley 4 193.24x
Kidlington 4 784.31x
Tackley 4 2000.00x
Hampstead London 3 17.95x
Islington London 3 2.88x
Plymstock 3 256.41x
Bourton 2 1111.11x
Brightside Bierlow 2 9.59x
Hundleby 2 869.57x
Spittlegate 2 84.39x
Warrington 2 13.25x
Aston By Budworth 1 588.24x
Chatham 1 9.93x
Chelsea London 1 3.09x
Malpas 1 285.71x
Melcombe Regis 1 34.25x
Newark Upon Trent 1 19.23x
Newton In Makerfield 1 25.64x
Oakley 1 666.67x
Oxford St Giles 1 31.65x
Oxford St Michael 1 370.37x
Pembroke St Mary 1 22.78x
Scawby 1 175.44x
Sculcoates 1 5.93x
Shardlow 1 312.50x
Southwark St Olave 1 121.95x
Upper Clatford 1 370.37x
West Ham 1 2.14x
Wolstanton 1 9.09x
Woodstock 1 238.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Amelia 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Emily 3
Mary 3
Amy 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Bridget 1
C.M. 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Edith 1
F. 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Priscilia 1
Rosa 1
Rosalind 1
Rose 1
Sarh 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 6
James 5
John 4
Elijah 3
Frederick 3
Stephen 3
William 3
Charles 2
Ernest 2
Harris 2
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Emanuel 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred.W. 1
Fredch. 1
George 1
Giles 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Iram 1
Mark 1
Smith 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Danbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Danbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Danbury surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Danbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Danbury a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Danbury surname mean?

From an English place name denoting someone who hailed from Danbury, a town in Essex.

What does the Danbury map show?

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