NameCensus.

UK surname

Danton

A French surname derived from the Celtic words meaning "deep valley".

In the 1881 census there were 234 people recorded with the Danton surname, ranking it #11,607 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, down from #11,607 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Nonington, St Peter and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Thanet and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Danton is 352 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.1%.

1881 census count

234

Ranked #11,607

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

1861

352 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Danton had 234 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,607 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 352 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Danton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Danton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Danton 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 352 #7,258
1881 historical 234 #11,607
1891 historical 229 #13,539
1901 historical 197 #15,272
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 290 #13,832
1998 modern 292 #14,120
1999 modern 303 #13,873
2000 modern 284 #14,457
2001 modern 277 #14,474
2002 modern 280 #14,660
2003 modern 275 #14,652
2004 modern 285 #14,344
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 277 #14,667
2007 modern 281 #14,660
2008 modern 276 #14,994
2009 modern 270 #15,551
2010 modern 263 #16,205
2011 modern 267 #15,892
2012 modern 259 #16,126
2013 modern 257 #16,466
2014 modern 255 #16,682
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

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Where Dantons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Nonington, St Peter, London parishes, Margate and Goodnestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Thanet, Cheshire East and Dover. 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 Nonington Kent
2 St Peter Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Margate Kent
5 Goodnestone Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 004 Neath Port Talbot
2 Thanet 012 Thanet
3 Cheshire East 026 Cheshire East
4 Thanet 017 Thanet
5 Dover 001 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Danton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Danton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Danton, 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 Danton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Danton 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, Danton 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

Danton is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Danton falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Danton

The surname Danton originates from France and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "dent," meaning tooth, and may have initially referred to someone with prominent teeth or possibly a nickname for a dentist or tooth-puller.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Saint-Rémy, in the Normandy region of France, where a Guillaume Danton was mentioned in 1567. The name also appeared in various other regions of France during the 16th and 17th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Dantont, Dantonne, and Dantoin.

Historically, the name Danton gained prominence with the famous French revolutionary leader Georges Jacques Danton, who was born in 1759 and executed during the Reign of Terror in 1794. Danton played a pivotal role in the French Revolution and was known for his fiery oratory and his advocacy for the rights of the common people.

Another notable bearer of the surname Danton was Jean-Baptiste Danton, a French painter and engraver who lived from 1642 to 1706. His works included portraits, religious scenes, and illustrations for books.

In the 19th century, Jacques Danton, born in 1821, was a French historian and writer who specialized in the history of the French Revolution and wrote several books on the subject, including a biography of his namesake, Georges Jacques Danton.

The name Danton can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as Belgium and Switzerland, where it may have been introduced by French immigrants or adopted by families with French roots.

While the surname Danton is not as common as some other French surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout history, with notable bearers in various fields, including politics, art, and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Danton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Danton 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. Kent leads with 152 Dantons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.52x.

County Total Index
Kent 152 19.52x
Surrey 25 2.25x
Middlesex 14 0.61x
Staffordshire 12 1.56x
Monmouthshire 8 4.85x
Warwickshire 6 1.04x
Hampshire 4 0.86x
Somerset 3 0.82x
Cumberland 2 1.02x
Devon 2 0.42x
Essex 1 0.22x
Glamorgan 1 0.25x
Leicestershire 1 0.40x
Lincolnshire 1 0.27x
Royal Navy 1 3.68x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Lawrence in Kent leads with 36 Dantons recorded in 1881 and an index of 672.90x.

Place Total Index
St Lawrence 36 672.90x
Ramsgate 31 243.90x
Margate St John Baptist 13 91.16x
Croydon 11 17.82x
Sedgley 11 38.43x
Chillenden 9 8181.82x
Gillingham 9 56.04x
Trevethin 8 51.35x
Nonington 7 1129.03x
Birmingham 6 3.13x
Lambeth 6 3.01x
Preston Next Wingham 6 1714.29x
Staple 6 1463.41x
Wingham 6 666.67x
St Peters 5 138.89x
Alton 4 113.31x
Ashford 4 52.77x
Canterbury St Mary 4 76.48x
Goodnestone In Eastry 4 1290.32x
Islington London 4 1.81x
Kingston On Thames 4 14.97x
Ripple 4 1818.18x
St Anne Soho London 4 30.70x
Battersea 3 3.57x
Bawdrip 3 967.74x
Deptford St Paul 3 4.99x
Mile End Old Town London 2 4.12x
St Cuthbert W O 2 20.88x
St Pancras London 2 1.09x
Tonbridge 2 7.12x
Burntwood Edial 1 20.33x
Chartham 1 51.55x
East Stonehouse 1 10.68x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 9.19x
Ingleton 1 78.74x
Ingoldmells 1 526.32x
Knighton 1 69.93x
Maidstone 1 4.31x
Minster In Thanet 1 61.73x
Orsett 1 84.75x
Penge 1 6.86x
Royal Navy 1 4.30x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.49x
Swansea Town 1 3.07x
Westminster St James 1 4.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 13
Mary 9
Ada 6
Emma 6
Jane 6
Charlotte 5
Annie 4
Elizabeth 4
Fanny 4
Harriet 4
Alice 3
Amy 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Martha 3
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Letitia 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Rachael 2
Antionette 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Elizbth. 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Janie 1
Jesse 1
Lillan 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
Mercy 1
Rose 1
Sisley 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Susannh 1
Theodosia 1
Violet 1
Violetta 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Danton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Danton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 234 people were recorded with the Danton surname. That placed it at #11,607 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Danton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Danton a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Danton surname mean?

A French surname derived from the Celtic words meaning "deep valley".

What does the Danton map show?

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