NameCensus.

UK surname

Dargie

A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "grassy ridge".

In the 1881 census there were 286 people recorded with the Dargie surname, ranking it #10,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 430, ranked #11,195, down from #10,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Meigle, Forfar and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monikie, South Angus and Monifieth East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dargie is 444 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.3%.

1881 census count

286

Ranked #10,036

Modern count

430

2016, ranked #11,195

Peak year

2010

444 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dargie had 286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 430 in 2016, ranked #11,195.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 422 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dargie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dargie surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dargie 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 224 #9,534
1861 historical 213 #11,419
1881 historical 286 #10,036
1891 historical 346 #9,920
1901 historical 422 #9,128
1911 historical 78 #25,013
1997 modern 419 #10,625
1998 modern 430 #10,772
1999 modern 436 #10,738
2000 modern 406 #11,271
2001 modern 405 #11,121
2002 modern 418 #11,084
2003 modern 397 #11,316
2004 modern 407 #11,135
2005 modern 417 #10,833
2006 modern 415 #10,928
2007 modern 424 #10,867
2008 modern 422 #10,992
2009 modern 440 #10,888
2010 modern 444 #11,017
2011 modern 422 #11,359
2012 modern 433 #10,996
2013 modern 444 #10,946
2014 modern 432 #11,287
2015 modern 426 #11,320
2016 modern 430 #11,195

Geography

Back to top

Where Dargies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Meigle, Forfar, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Couper Angus. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Monikie, South Angus, Monifieth East, Stranraer West and Carnoustie East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Meigle Perth
2 Forfar Forfar
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Couper Angus Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monikie Angus
2 South Angus Angus
3 Monifieth East Angus
4 Stranraer West Dumfries and Galloway
5 Carnoustie East Angus

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dargie

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dargie

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dargie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dargie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dargie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dargie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dargie

The surname Dargie is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'Dearg', which means red. It is believed to have originated in the 16th century, referring to someone with a ruddy complexion or red hair. The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Angus and Perthshire in eastern Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Parish Register of Arbroath, Angus, where a John Dargie was listed in 1650. Another early reference is the baptism record of John Dargie in Cortachy, Angus, in 1683.

The name Dargie may also be linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Dargiehill in Angus and Dargies in Fife. These place names likely derive from the same Gaelic root, suggesting a connection between the surname and certain geographical locations.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was Robert Dargie (1720-1788), a Scottish minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1776. Another prominent individual was Sir William Dargie (1842-1924), a Scottish-born Australian artist renowned for his portraiture.

Other historical figures with the surname Dargie include John Dargie (1804-1888), a Scottish farmer and businessman who emigrated to Canada, and James Dargie (1831-1904), a Scottish journalist and author. In the 20th century, Donald Dargie (1911-2003) was a notable Australian painter and war artist.

While the surname Dargie is not among the most common in Scotland, it has a rich history dating back several centuries. Its connection to Gaelic roots and its presence in various historical records and notable individuals highlight its enduring legacy within Scottish heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dargie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dargie 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. Angus leads with 209 Dargies recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.15x.

County Total Index
Angus 209 81.15x
Perthshire 20 16.03x
Aberdeenshire 12 4.66x
Fife 9 5.47x
Lanarkshire 6 0.67x
Northumberland 6 1.45x
Kent 5 0.53x
Durham 4 0.48x
Yorkshire 4 0.15x
Renfrewshire 3 1.39x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.89x
Kincardineshire 1 2.95x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 2.49x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.32x
Middlesex 1 0.04x
Stirlingshire 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 63 Dargies recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.52x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 63 65.52x
Forfar 27 193.55x
Monifieth 24 263.74x
Liff Benvie 20 51.15x
Meigle 17 1827.96x
Inverarity 16 1927.71x
Barry 15 485.44x
St Vigeans 11 79.14x
Monikie 9 666.67x
Strathmartine 8 701.75x
Forgan 7 222.22x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 6 12.46x
Coupar Angus 6 245.90x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 20.24x
Plumstead 5 15.81x
Carstairs 4 215.05x
Stranton 4 14.37x
Glamis 3 193.55x
Inverkip 3 59.06x
Linthorpe 3 18.25x
Arbroath 2 23.45x
Crimond 2 253.16x
Glasgow 2 1.25x
Glenisla 2 266.67x
Lonmay 2 85.47x
Abernethy 1 61.35x
Bangor 1 9.23x
Benholm 1 68.97x
Collessie 1 52.91x
Dysart 1 9.03x
Everton 1 0.95x
Girthon 1 74.07x
Kirriemuir 1 15.75x
Logie 1 22.32x
Loughborough 1 7.15x
Lowick 1 69.44x
Paddington London 1 0.98x
Panbride 1 74.63x
Rathen 1 37.04x
Richmond 1 23.26x
St Madoes 1 333.33x
St Ninians 1 9.84x
Tealing 1 138.89x
Tyrie 1 30.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 2
Eleanor 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Elizabeth 1
Martha 1
Roseina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
David 2
George 2
James 2
Alexander 1
John 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Dargie households.

FAQ

Dargie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dargie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 286 people were recorded with the Dargie surname. That placed it at #10,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dargie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 430 in 2016. That gives Dargie a modern rank of #11,195.

What does the Dargie surname mean?

A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "grassy ridge".

What does the Dargie map show?

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