NameCensus.

UK surname

Danks

A variant spelling of the English surname Danks, possibly a locative name relating to someone from a bank or hillside.

In the 1881 census there were 1,310 people recorded with the Danks surname, ranking it #3,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,943, ranked #3,295, down from #3,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Rowley Regis and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Redditch and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Danks is 2,098 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.3%.

1881 census count

1,310

Ranked #3,127

Modern count

1,943

2016, ranked #3,295

Peak year

1998

2,098 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Danks had 1,310 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,943 in 2016, ranked #3,295.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,845 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Danks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Danks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Danks 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 757 #3,514
1861 historical 757 #3,612
1881 historical 1,310 #3,127
1891 historical 1,395 #3,120
1901 historical 1,688 #3,057
1911 historical 1,845 #2,675
1997 modern 2,061 #2,985
1998 modern 2,098 #3,039
1999 modern 2,087 #3,077
2000 modern 2,083 #3,068
2001 modern 2,015 #3,097
2002 modern 2,050 #3,115
2003 modern 2,023 #3,086
2004 modern 2,004 #3,111
2005 modern 1,973 #3,119
2006 modern 1,954 #3,158
2007 modern 1,958 #3,180
2008 modern 1,981 #3,168
2009 modern 2,033 #3,170
2010 modern 2,042 #3,218
2011 modern 2,021 #3,211
2012 modern 1,965 #3,228
2013 modern 1,993 #3,254
2014 modern 1,995 #3,265
2015 modern 1,947 #3,302
2016 modern 1,943 #3,295

Geography

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Where Danks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Rowley Regis, Birmingham Town: Birmingham, Birmingham Town: Aston and West Bromwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Redditch, Stockton-on-Tees 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
4 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire
5 West Bromwich Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 020 Dudley
2 Redditch 003 Redditch
3 Redditch 004 Redditch
4 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Walsall 009 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Danks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Danks

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Danks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Danks household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Danks 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

Danks 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

Danks 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 Danks is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Danks

The surname DANKS has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "denc," meaning a hollow or valley, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived in or near a valley.

One of the earliest known references to the name DANKS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Ricardus de Denc is mentioned. This record indicates that the name was originally spelled "Denc" and was likely a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from a specific place called Denc or Dench.

In the 13th century, the name began to appear in various forms, such as Dank, Danke, and Danks, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain an entry for a Robert de Dank, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list a John Dankys.

One notable figure in the history of the DANKS surname was Sir Robert Danks (c. 1470-1530), a Member of Parliament and landowner from Worcestershire, England. He served as a knight of the shire for Worcestershire in the Parliament of 1529.

Another prominent individual bearing this surname was John Danks (1588-1659), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Woodhill in Bedfordshire. He published several works, including a treatise on the Book of Revelation.

In the 17th century, the DANKS name spread to other parts of England, with records showing bearers in counties like Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, and Lancashire. One example is Thomas Danks (1622-1694), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

The surname DANKS can also be traced back to place names like Danks Lane in Hertfordshire and Danks Hill in Warwickshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Other notable individuals with the DANKS surname include William Danks (1670-1736), a renowned clockmaker from London, and John Danks (1759-1844), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Danks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Danks 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. Staffordshire leads with 345 Danks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.03x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 345 8.03x
Worcestershire 258 15.53x
Warwickshire 232 7.23x
Lanarkshire 70 1.70x
Middlesex 63 0.50x
Shropshire 48 4.37x
Surrey 41 0.66x
Lancashire 39 0.26x
Yorkshire 39 0.31x
Fife 25 3.32x
Derbyshire 17 0.85x
Ayrshire 16 1.68x
West Lothian 15 7.83x
Renfrewshire 14 1.42x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.64x
Glamorgan 10 0.45x
Essex 9 0.36x
Cumberland 6 0.55x
Kent 6 0.14x
Leicestershire 5 0.35x
Monmouthshire 5 0.54x
Northamptonshire 5 0.42x
Herefordshire 4 0.77x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.37x
Lincolnshire 3 0.15x
Gloucestershire 2 0.08x
Hampshire 2 0.08x
Perthshire 2 0.35x
Sussex 2 0.09x
Bedfordshire 1 0.15x
Berkshire 1 0.10x
Devon 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.29x
Midlothian 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 150 Danks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.28x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 150 74.28x
Birmingham 108 10.10x
Aston 97 10.98x
West Bromwich 70 28.48x
Rowley Regis 64 53.48x
Wednesbury 53 49.39x
Walsall Foreign 34 15.33x
Redditch 32 95.01x
Lower Mitton 28 191.26x
Dunfermline 22 19.00x
St Pancras London 22 2.15x
Lambeth 17 1.53x
Madeley 17 42.19x
Tipton 17 12.93x
Govan 16 1.57x
Oldbury 16 19.58x
Uphall 15 71.19x
Cathcart 14 26.25x
Fulham London 14 7.59x
Sedgley 14 8.78x
Thornaby 14 29.72x
Barony 11 1.06x
Bilston 11 13.22x
Cambusnethan 11 12.04x
Coventry St Michael 11 10.67x
Uttoxeter 11 50.05x
Beith 10 35.20x
Harborne 10 7.27x
Wolverhampton 10 3.03x
Old Monkland 9 5.51x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 3.52x
West Ham 9 1.62x
Barrow In Furness 8 3.90x
Bishops Castle In 8 124.81x
Derby St Alkmund 8 13.40x
Glasgow 8 1.10x
Kings Norton 8 5.37x
Kingswinford 8 5.13x
Llandaff 8 10.86x
Newington 8 1.70x
Sheffield 8 1.99x
Upper Hallam 8 73.06x
Camberwell 7 0.86x
Hackney London 7 0.98x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.58x
Ogley Hay 7 78.56x
Tettenhall 7 26.67x
Cambuslang 6 14.47x
Gradley 6 74.81x
Hartlebury 6 60.67x
Ipsley 6 102.04x
Rugeley 6 19.47x
Shotts 6 12.19x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.32x
Tarbolton 6 38.29x
Workington 6 9.57x
Bradford 5 7.08x
Braunston 5 107.07x
Deptford St Paul 5 1.49x
Openshaw 5 7.07x
Toxteth Park 5 0.98x
Wellington 5 8.10x
Westminster St James 5 3.82x
Derby St Werburgh 4 3.48x
Ledbury 4 22.33x
Lichfield St Mary 4 32.31x
Liverpool 4 0.44x
Ormesby 4 11.81x
Poplar London 4 1.67x
Walsall Borough 4 12.00x
Wednesfield 4 6.33x
Burwell 3 31.09x
Carnwath 3 11.79x
Everton 3 0.62x
Gainsborough 3 6.26x
Hughley 3 625.00x
Kidderminster Borough 3 3.09x
Lt Wenlock 3 123.97x
North Meols 3 2.03x
Paddington London 3 0.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 70
Thomas 65
John 61
Joseph 34
James 31
Samuel 26
Charles 23
George 22
Henry 22
Benjamin 19
Arthur 14
Edward 13
Richard 13
Walter 10
Alfred 9
David 7
Edwin 7
Herbert 7
Elijah 6
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Albert 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Isaiah 4
Peter 4
Fredrick 3
Joshua 3
Wm. 3
Isiah 2
J. 2
Jesse 2
Reuben 2
Saml. 2
Sampson 2
Sidney 2
Titus 2
Willm. 2
Bertie 1
Cyril 1
Edgar 1
Esaw 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Josh. 1
Fredrk. 1
J.S.F. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1

FAQ

Danks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Danks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,310 people were recorded with the Danks surname. That placed it at #3,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Danks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,943 in 2016. That gives Danks a modern rank of #3,295.

What does the Danks surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Danks, possibly a locative name relating to someone from a bank or hillside.

What does the Danks map show?

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