NameCensus.

UK surname

Dawes

From a place name derived from the Old English words daw, meaning "jackdaw," and hyrst, meaning "wooded hill."

In the 1881 census there were 4,081 people recorded with the Dawes surname, ranking it #1,109 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,409, ranked #1,050, up from #1,109 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley, Caerphilly and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dawes is 6,849 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.0%.

1881 census count

4,081

Ranked #1,109

Modern count

6,409

2016, ranked #1,050

Peak year

1998

6,849 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dawes had 4,081 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,109 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,409 in 2016, ranked #1,050.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,244 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dawes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dawes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dawes 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 2,091 #1,392
1861 historical 1,947 #1,501
1881 historical 4,081 #1,109
1891 historical 4,269 #1,121
1901 historical 5,400 #1,037
1911 historical 6,244 #828
1997 modern 6,627 #980
1998 modern 6,849 #982
1999 modern 6,835 #995
2000 modern 6,779 #996
2001 modern 6,643 #994
2002 modern 6,675 #1,016
2003 modern 6,553 #1,012
2004 modern 6,483 #1,025
2005 modern 6,387 #1,025
2006 modern 6,427 #1,017
2007 modern 6,403 #1,027
2008 modern 6,412 #1,031
2009 modern 6,518 #1,039
2010 modern 6,647 #1,037
2011 modern 6,568 #1,035
2012 modern 6,450 #1,039
2013 modern 6,566 #1,036
2014 modern 6,574 #1,044
2015 modern 6,464 #1,049
2016 modern 6,409 #1,050

Geography

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Where Dawes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, London parishes and Alfreton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley, Caerphilly, Hartlepool, Newark and Sherwood and Sandwell. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Alfreton Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 002 Amber Valley
2 Caerphilly 018 Caerphilly
3 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
4 Newark and Sherwood 010 Newark and Sherwood
5 Sandwell 003 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dawes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dawes

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

Dawes 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

Dawes falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dawes

The surname Dawes originates from England and is believed to date back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Daw," which was a diminutive form of the name David. This nickname was often given to someone who had a dark complexion or was deemed to resemble a jackdaw.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dawes can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a person named Peter Daw is mentioned. The name Dawes is also recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, referring to a person named Walter Dawe.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Dawes, but there are mentions of places like Dawes Green in Essex and Dawes Field in Gloucestershire, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

The surname Dawes has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Daw, Dawe, Dawes, and Daws. These variations are often found in historical records and can be attributed to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable figure with the surname Dawes was Sir William Dawes (1617-1669), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Higham Ferrers in Northamptonshire during the reign of Charles I. Another prominent individual was William Dawes (1745-1799), an American patriot who participated in the Boston Tea Party and served as a messenger during the American Revolutionary War, famously alerting the Colonial militia of the British troops' movements in 1775.

Other historical figures with the surname Dawes include Henry Dawes (1816-1903), a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and a prominent figure in the abolition movement; Charles G. Dawes (1865-1951), an American banker, diplomat, and the 30th Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge; and Benjamin Dawes (1670-1723), an English Presbyterian minister and theological writer.

The surname Dawes has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, military figures, religious leaders, and writers, making it a significant part of the English and American cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dawes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dawes 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. Middlesex leads with 438 Dawes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.10x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 438 1.10x
Surrey 424 2.19x
Yorkshire 379 0.96x
Staffordshire 280 2.09x
Lancashire 266 0.56x
Sussex 265 3.95x
Derbyshire 251 4.03x
Kent 238 1.75x
Warwickshire 209 2.08x
Gloucestershire 158 2.03x
Shropshire 147 4.28x
Hampshire 89 1.09x
Worcestershire 87 1.68x
Norfolk 75 1.23x
Essex 62 0.79x
Northamptonshire 55 1.47x
Somerset 48 0.75x
Leicestershire 44 1.00x
Cheshire 42 0.48x
Oxfordshire 40 1.63x
Nottinghamshire 39 0.73x
Devon 38 0.46x
Hertfordshire 37 1.35x
Herefordshire 35 2.15x
Huntingdonshire 35 4.43x
Durham 28 0.24x
Lincolnshire 26 0.41x
Suffolk 26 0.54x
Cumberland 23 0.67x
Wiltshire 21 0.60x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.79x
Monmouthshire 16 0.56x
Berkshire 15 0.50x
Glamorgan 15 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 13 0.52x
Westmorland 13 1.49x
Dorset 10 0.38x
Bedfordshire 7 0.34x
Lanarkshire 7 0.05x
Stirlingshire 7 0.48x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.37x
Midlothian 6 0.11x
Northumberland 6 0.10x
Royal Navy 6 1.27x
Brecknockshire 5 0.63x
Inverness-shire 5 0.42x
Ayrshire 4 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.24x
Cornwall 4 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.16x
Fife 1 0.04x
Merionethshire 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. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 105 Dawes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.80x.

Place Total Index
Aston 105 3.80x
Birmingham 70 2.09x
Lambeth 67 1.93x
Brighton 64 4.73x
Camberwell 59 2.32x
Alfreton 57 30.13x
Wellington 56 29.00x
Islington London 54 1.40x
Hackney London 42 1.88x
Deptford St Paul 35 3.34x
Sheffield 35 2.79x
Trentham 34 29.78x
Ardingly 32 150.09x
Cheltenham 28 4.65x
Croydon 28 2.60x
Shoreditch London 27 1.57x
Bermondsey 26 2.20x
Bethnal Green London 26 1.50x
Kingston On Thames 26 5.59x
Shifnal 26 27.87x
Willenhall 26 10.34x
Wednesbury 25 7.45x
West Bromwich 25 3.25x
Wolverhampton 25 2.42x
Battersea 24 1.64x
Chelsea London 24 2.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 24 2.99x
Kensington London 23 1.04x
Kingswinford 23 4.72x
Clifton 22 5.58x
Crich 22 54.13x
Salford 22 1.59x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 21 2.86x
Greenwich 20 3.16x
Holloway 20 260.42x
Longhope 20 150.94x
Mansfield 20 10.78x
Middlesbrough 20 3.90x
Newington 20 1.36x
Ashton Under Lyne 19 1.84x
Kings Norton 19 4.08x
Walsall Foreign 19 2.74x
West Ham 18 1.04x
Ashburnham 17 161.29x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 17 4.63x
Gorton 17 3.83x
Harborne 17 3.95x
Oldbury 17 6.65x
St Pancras London 17 0.53x
Barrow In Furness 16 2.49x
Bow London 16 3.16x
Chadderton 16 6.94x
South Normanton 16 36.58x
Derby St Alkmund 15 8.04x
Little Amwell 15 156.58x
Milton In Gravesend 15 7.37x
Stapleton 15 10.14x
Tonbridge 15 3.06x
Westminster St John 15 3.10x
Wrockwardine 15 19.85x
Blackburn 14 1.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 1.87x
Clapham 14 2.82x
Ewhurst 14 115.42x
Frimley 14 25.36x
Husbands Bosworth 14 123.78x
Leeds 14 0.63x
Ashby De La Zouch 13 12.72x
Cheadle 13 7.75x
Chester St Oswald 13 8.18x
Chesterfield 13 5.57x
Church Gresley 13 13.12x
Gillingham 13 4.65x
Maidstone 13 3.22x
Manchester 13 0.61x
Scarborough 13 3.63x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 1.62x
St George Hanover Square 13 1.86x
St Marylebone London 13 0.61x
Willesden 13 3.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 242
Elizabeth 151
Sarah 142
Ann 77
Jane 77
Emma 70
Annie 68
Ellen 62
Eliza 58
Emily 57
Alice 55
Caroline 39
Hannah 39
Louisa 38
Ada 34
Charlotte 33
Florence 33
Martha 33
Harriett 29
Edith 27
Kate 26
Fanny 25
Maria 25
Harriet 24
Agnes 18
Clara 17
Catherine 16
Lucy 15
Anne 14
Jessie 14
Minnie 14
Elizth. 13
Rebecca 13
Margaret 12
Frances 11
Rose 10
Bertha 9
Helen 9
Susan 9
Amy 8
Anna 8
Esther 8
Gertrude 8
Matilda 7
Rosa 7
Sophia 7
Amelia 6
Elizh. 6
Henrietta 6
Lydia 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 273
George 157
James 128
Thomas 119
John 107
Henry 105
Charles 90
Joseph 69
Edward 62
Alfred 59
Frederick 50
Arthur 47
Samuel 42
Harry 41
Walter 41
Albert 40
Richard 32
Robert 31
Frank 28
Edwin 26
Herbert 20
Ernest 18
Francis 14
Benjamin 12
David 11
Wm. 11
Alexander 7
Peter 7
Thos. 7
Edgar 6
Fred 6
Fredrick 6
Percy 6
Tom 6
Edmund 5
Elijah 5
Fredk. 5
Willm. 5
Amos 4
Anthony 4
Daniel 4
Earnest 4
Geo. 4
Harold 4
Isaac 4
Josiah 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Benton 3
Jabez 3

FAQ

Dawes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dawes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,081 people were recorded with the Dawes surname. That placed it at #1,109 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dawes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,409 in 2016. That gives Dawes a modern rank of #1,050.

What does the Dawes surname mean?

From a place name derived from the Old English words daw, meaning "jackdaw," and hyrst, meaning "wooded hill."

What does the Dawes map show?

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