NameCensus.

UK surname

Daw

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a jackdaw's nesting place or near a ravine.

In the 1881 census there were 2,033 people recorded with the Daw surname, ranking it #2,165 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,804, ranked #3,506, down from #2,165 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Snettisham, London parishes and Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Wealden and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Daw is 2,055 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.3%.

1881 census count

2,033

Ranked #2,165

Modern count

1,804

2016, ranked #3,506

Peak year

1901

2,055 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Daw had 2,033 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,165 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,804 in 2016, ranked #3,506.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,055 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Daw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Daw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Daw 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 1,981 #1,462
1881 historical 2,033 #2,165
1891 historical 56 #29,638
1901 historical 2,055 #2,609
1997 modern 1,863 #3,232
1998 modern 1,941 #3,231
1999 modern 1,945 #3,254
2000 modern 1,929 #3,260
2001 modern 1,855 #3,308
2002 modern 1,901 #3,311
2003 modern 1,864 #3,287
2004 modern 1,852 #3,310
2005 modern 1,840 #3,297
2006 modern 1,814 #3,346
2007 modern 1,831 #3,348
2008 modern 1,877 #3,309
2009 modern 1,876 #3,386
2010 modern 1,904 #3,412
2011 modern 1,896 #3,386
2012 modern 1,863 #3,388
2013 modern 1,849 #3,452
2014 modern 1,849 #3,475
2015 modern 1,844 #3,462
2016 modern 1,804 #3,506

Geography

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Where Daws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Snettisham, London parishes, Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Wealden, The Vale of Glamorgan, Herefordshire and Plymouth. 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 Snettisham Norfolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy Devon
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 023 Cornwall
2 Wealden 014 Wealden
3 The Vale of Glamorgan 011 Vale of Glamorgan
4 Herefordshire 010 Herefordshire, County of
5 Plymouth 021 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Daw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Daw

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

Daw is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Daw

The surname DAW is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "daw" meaning a jackdaw or small crow. It is believed to have originally been a nickname given to someone who had a resemblance to the bird or shared one of its characteristics, such as being noisy or mischievous.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname DAW dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Daw" in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, including "Dawe," "Daw," and "Dawes." These spelling variations were common before the standardization of English surnames in the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was John Daw, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1205. Other notable individuals with the surname include William Daw, a prominent merchant in London during the 14th century, and Sir John Daw, a Member of Parliament for Cornwall in 1547.

In the 16th century, the surname was sometimes associated with place names, such as Dawlish in Devon, which was originally recorded as "Daw's Liss" or "Daw's Meadow." This suggests that some bearers of the name may have taken on a locational surname based on their place of origin or residence.

Other notable figures throughout history with the surname DAW include:

1. Sir Thomas Daw (1504-1561), an English diplomat and ambassador to France during the reign of Queen Mary I. 2. George Daw (1673-1718), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London. 3. Mary Daw (1784-1856), a British author and poet known for her works on religious and moral themes. 4. Joseph Daw (1825-1888), an English artist and engraver who specialized in landscapes and architectural subjects. 5. William Daw (1870-1945), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.

The surname DAW continues to be found predominantly in England, particularly in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire, reflecting its Anglo-Saxon roots and historical distribution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Daw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Daw 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. Devon leads with 362 Daws recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.59x.

County Total Index
Devon 362 8.59x
Cornwall 189 8.25x
Middlesex 186 0.92x
Surrey 177 1.79x
Kent 134 1.94x
Gloucestershire 97 2.44x
Somerset 94 2.89x
Norfolk 93 2.99x
Yorkshire 87 0.43x
Staffordshire 86 1.26x
Sussex 79 2.31x
Herefordshire 56 6.75x
Glamorgan 50 1.42x
Worcestershire 37 1.40x
Essex 35 0.88x
Lancashire 35 0.15x
Wiltshire 35 1.96x
Dorset 33 2.48x
Hampshire 27 0.65x
Durham 19 0.32x
Warwickshire 19 0.37x
Oxfordshire 16 1.28x
Channel Islands 13 2.17x
Cheshire 11 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.82x
Angus 9 0.48x
Shropshire 9 0.51x
Fife 8 0.67x
Monmouthshire 8 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.55x
Carmarthenshire 7 0.82x
Lanarkshire 7 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.93x
Northumberland 5 0.17x
Royal Navy 5 2.07x
Isle of Man 4 1.06x
Brecknockshire 3 0.74x
Midlothian 3 0.11x
Perthshire 3 0.33x
Renfrewshire 3 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.37x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.05x
Banffshire 1 0.24x
Bedfordshire 1 0.10x
Berkshire 1 0.07x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 55 Daws recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.25x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 55 4.25x
Snettisham 31 359.63x
Tavistock 30 62.50x
Beerferris 25 304.51x
Kensington London 22 1.95x
Plymouth Charles The 22 11.85x
Roath 21 13.12x
Brewood 20 101.52x
St Pancras London 20 1.23x
Enford 19 312.50x
Plymouth St Andrew 19 5.85x
Lambeth 18 1.02x
Antony 17 76.82x
Dersingham 17 241.82x
Islington London 17 0.87x
Lamerton 17 212.23x
Stone In Tenterden 16 599.25x
Ashburton 15 74.48x
Bedminster 15 4.90x
St Ive 15 102.04x
Clerkenwell London 14 2.93x
Newington 14 1.87x
Exeter St Leonard 13 112.75x
Linkinhorne 13 81.45x
Marytavy 13 209.34x
Merriott 13 136.41x
Middleton 13 213.46x
Milton Abbott 13 213.11x
Misterton 13 281.39x
Norton Canes 13 52.21x
Bushbury 12 97.80x
Calstock 12 26.70x
Cardiff St John 12 10.42x
Cleckheaton 12 16.24x
Doncaster 12 8.19x
Hackney London 12 1.06x
Hammersmith London 12 2.41x
Harberton 12 125.00x
Knottingley 12 34.04x
Newlyn 12 122.70x
Sandford 12 116.50x
Stansfield 12 16.26x
Warbleton 12 117.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 2.94x
Chelsea London 11 1.80x
East Farleigh 11 94.99x
Hampstead London 11 3.49x
Marden 11 67.94x
Newchurch 11 5.60x
South Perrott 11 523.81x
St Helier 11 5.63x
Stoke Climsland 11 75.19x
Westham 11 158.27x
Wolborough 11 20.65x
Bodenham 10 163.93x
Camborne 10 10.59x
Cowley 10 25.63x
Exeter St Thomas The 10 23.28x
Kingswinford 10 4.03x
Leybourne 10 520.83x
Wendron 10 31.43x
Chard 9 22.80x
Eaton Bishop 9 286.62x
St Blazey 9 44.73x
Yardley 9 13.31x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 4.19x
Chilmark 8 208.33x
Exeter St Mary Major 8 31.50x
Frampton On Severn 8 119.58x
Hook 8 18.13x
Horsell 8 128.41x
Kyo 8 28.22x
New Windsor 8 183.49x
Otford 8 82.99x
Paignton 8 24.95x
Pontefract 8 18.51x
Portsea 8 0.98x
St Agnes 8 24.93x
St Marylebone London 8 0.74x
Totnes 8 32.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 157
Thomas 71
John 68
James 66
George 61
Henry 49
Charles 45
Samuel 31
Richard 28
Alfred 27
Edward 27
Frederick 24
Robert 24
Arthur 22
Joseph 20
Walter 20
Francis 18
Edwin 12
Albert 11
Frank 11
Harry 10
Herbert 9
David 7
Ernest 7
Geo. 5
Isaac 5
Benjamin 4
Fredrick 4
Louis 4
Percy 4
Sidney 4
Edmund 3
Jabez 3
Jas. 3
Philip 3
Phillip 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Chas. 2
Elias 2
Ephraim 2
Joshua 2
Julius 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Nathaniel 2
Nicholas 2
Robt. 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Daw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Daw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,033 people were recorded with the Daw surname. That placed it at #2,165 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Daw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,804 in 2016. That gives Daw a modern rank of #3,506.

What does the Daw surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a jackdaw's nesting place or near a ravine.

What does the Daw map show?

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