NameCensus.

UK surname

Darwin

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "deorwine" meaning "dear friend."

In the 1881 census there were 573 people recorded with the Darwin surname, ranking it #6,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,060, ranked #5,510, up from #6,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sheffield, Halifax and Huddersfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Sheffield and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Darwin is 1,060 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.0%.

1881 census count

573

Ranked #6,081

Modern count

1,060

2016, ranked #5,510

Peak year

2016

1,060 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Darwin had 573 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,060 in 2016, ranked #5,510.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 816 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Darwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Darwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Darwin 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 325 #7,157
1861 historical 406 #6,320
1881 historical 573 #6,081
1891 historical 593 #6,444
1901 historical 667 #6,517
1911 historical 816 #5,395
1997 modern 1,014 #5,436
1998 modern 1,039 #5,490
1999 modern 1,057 #5,455
2000 modern 1,057 #5,440
2001 modern 1,031 #5,451
2002 modern 1,039 #5,517
2003 modern 1,026 #5,485
2004 modern 1,040 #5,432
2005 modern 1,003 #5,532
2006 modern 1,015 #5,492
2007 modern 1,026 #5,497
2008 modern 1,020 #5,558
2009 modern 1,036 #5,612
2010 modern 1,037 #5,707
2011 modern 1,019 #5,733
2012 modern 990 #5,784
2013 modern 1,037 #5,672
2014 modern 1,043 #5,664
2015 modern 1,041 #5,617
2016 modern 1,060 #5,510

Geography

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Where Darwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sheffield, Halifax, Huddersfield and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Sheffield, County Durham and Barnsley. 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 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 013 Knowsley
2 Sheffield 023 Sheffield
3 County Durham 039 County Durham
4 Barnsley 027 Barnsley
5 County Durham 019 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Darwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Darwin

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Darwin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Darwin 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

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

Meaning and origin of Darwin

The surname DARWIN is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "deor" meaning "deer", combined with the word "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "farm". It is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the village of Derwent, near Derby in Derbyshire. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a deer park or enclosure.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "de Deorwentun" in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire. The earliest known bearer of the name was Reginald de Derewentun, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199.

The DARWIN surname is also found in various spellings in historical records, such as Derwent, Derwentwater, and Darwent. One of the earliest recorded examples is Richard de Derwent, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the form of "Darwyn" in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1541, where a John Darwyn was listed. Around this time, the surname also appears in the nearby counties of Staffordshire and Cheshire.

One of the most famous bearers of the DARWIN surname was Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882), the renowned English naturalist, geologist, and biologist best known for his contributions to the theory of evolution. His grandfather, Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), was a physician, poet, and natural philosopher, and his father, Robert Waring Darwin (1766-1848), was a wealthy physician and financier.

Other notable individuals with the DARWIN surname include:

1. George Howard Darwin (1845-1912), an English mathematician and astronomer, and the son of Charles Darwin. 2. Leonard Darwin (1850-1943), a British soldier, politician, and eugenicist, and another son of Charles Darwin. 3. Horace Darwin (1851-1928), an English engineer and inventor, and the youngest son of Charles Darwin. 4. Bernard Darwin (1876-1961), an English golf writer and grandson of Charles Darwin. 5. Sir Sacheverell Sitwell (1897-1988), an English writer and poet who was born Sacheverell Darwin Sitwell, a descendant of Charles Darwin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Darwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Darwin 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. Yorkshire leads with 320 Darwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.80x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 320 5.80x
Lancashire 86 1.30x
Nottinghamshire 44 5.86x
Middlesex 24 0.43x
Derbyshire 19 2.18x
Warwickshire 15 1.07x
Durham 14 0.84x
Kent 9 0.47x
Staffordshire 9 0.48x
Norfolk 7 0.82x
Cumberland 5 1.04x
Cheshire 3 0.24x
Leicestershire 3 0.49x
Surrey 3 0.11x
Lincolnshire 2 0.22x
Sussex 2 0.21x
Channel Islands 1 0.61x
Gloucestershire 1 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.15x
Worcestershire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 50 Darwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.45x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 50 28.45x
Ecclesall Bierlow 42 37.41x
Brightside Bierlow 36 33.26x
Nether Hallam 20 26.78x
Halifax 19 23.45x
Huddersfield 17 21.14x
Sharow 13 1805.56x
Wortley In Bramley 12 27.45x
Clayworth 11 1309.52x
Keighley 11 18.70x
Hoyland Nether 10 73.86x
Ordsall 10 173.91x
Batley 9 17.16x
Downe 9 857.14x
Manchester 9 3.03x
Grassington 8 672.27x
Shevington 8 264.90x
Standish With Langtree 8 98.28x
Thorne 8 116.79x
West Derby 8 4.14x
Aston 7 1.81x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 13.61x
Birmingham 7 1.50x
Oldham 7 3.28x
Shoreditch London 7 2.90x
Chorley 6 16.18x
Cottam 6 3000.00x
Hunshelf 6 221.40x
Ingleton 6 192.93x
Marham 6 419.58x
Rawmarsh 6 30.77x
Toxteth Park 6 2.68x
Weston 6 895.52x
Wolsingham 6 39.74x
Arthington 5 581.40x
Bradford 5 3.74x
Caldewgate 5 19.03x
Chelsea London 5 2.98x
Harborne 5 8.30x
Hulme 5 3.62x
Ince In Makerfield 5 16.26x
Scarisbrick 5 65.19x
Buxton 4 54.20x
Hartington Upper 4 96.15x
Redworth 4 377.36x
St Marylebone London 4 1.35x
Blackburn 3 1.71x
Chester Le Street 3 23.58x
Dukinfield 3 5.28x
Fairfield 3 51.46x
Hackney London 3 0.96x
Leeds 3 0.96x
Liverpool 3 0.75x
Loughborough 3 10.71x
North Wheatley 3 405.41x
Sefton 3 410.96x
Wath On Dearne 3 27.25x
Wiseton 3 1304.35x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 30.35x
Ecclesfield 2 4.94x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 9.99x
Islington London 2 0.37x
Kimberworth 2 6.53x
Kingston On Thames 2 3.07x
Lancaster 2 5.09x
Litchurch 2 5.70x
Morton 2 119.05x
Rotherham 2 6.43x
South Crosland 2 34.42x
South Leverton 2 259.74x
Thornton In Sefton 2 377.36x
Trentham 2 12.51x
Askham Richard 1 222.22x
Derby St Alkmund 1 3.83x
Derby St Werburgh 1 1.99x
Govan 1 0.22x
Kirkleatham 1 13.42x
Knowle 1 34.60x
Lunt 1 500.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 0.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Sarah 26
Elizabeth 23
Jane 15
Annie 14
Ann 13
Eliza 7
Ellen 7
Catherine 6
Emma 6
Hannah 6
Martha 6
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Lucy 4
Margaret 4
Rose 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Gertrude 3
Millicent 3
Rebecca 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Laura 2
Margret 2
Bertha 1
Blanch 1
Blanche 1
Cath. 1
Elizebeth 1
Florance 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Keyninia 1
Kitty 1
Lavinia 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 38
William 26
Thomas 23
George 15
James 14
Henry 12
Charles 11
Joseph 10
Robert 8
Alfred 7
Arthur 6
Francis 6
Wm. 6
Edward 5
Frank 5
Samuel 5
Tom 5
Walter 5
Harry 4
Richard 4
Dennis 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Joe 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Sidney 2
Willie 2
Clifford 1
Collin 1
Cornelius 1
Douglas 1
Erasmus 1
Geo.E. 1
Gerard 1
Godfrey 1
Lazat 1
Leonard 1
Lorance 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Oliver 1

FAQ

Darwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Darwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 573 people were recorded with the Darwin surname. That placed it at #6,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Darwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,060 in 2016. That gives Darwin a modern rank of #5,510.

What does the Darwin surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "deorwine" meaning "dear friend."

What does the Darwin map show?

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