NameCensus.

UK surname

Dawkins

Derived from the Welsh patronymic name "Daw" or "Dawi," meaning "son of David" or "beloved."

In the 1881 census there were 2,164 people recorded with the Dawkins surname, ranking it #2,051 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,260, ranked #1,595, up from #2,051 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Southampton St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley, Eastleigh and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dawkins is 4,413 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.9%.

1881 census count

2,164

Ranked #2,051

Modern count

4,260

2016, ranked #1,595

Peak year

2010

4,413 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dawkins had 2,164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,051 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,260 in 2016, ranked #1,595.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,139 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dawkins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dawkins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dawkins 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 1,381 #2,076
1861 historical 1,408 #2,030
1881 historical 2,164 #2,051
1891 historical 2,374 #1,979
1901 historical 2,769 #2,006
1911 historical 3,139 #1,657
1997 modern 4,084 #1,586
1998 modern 4,227 #1,597
1999 modern 4,203 #1,620
2000 modern 4,164 #1,627
2001 modern 4,077 #1,618
2002 modern 4,225 #1,584
2003 modern 4,108 #1,596
2004 modern 4,147 #1,586
2005 modern 4,077 #1,595
2006 modern 4,042 #1,605
2007 modern 4,073 #1,610
2008 modern 4,146 #1,600
2009 modern 4,308 #1,580
2010 modern 4,413 #1,573
2011 modern 4,355 #1,572
2012 modern 4,324 #1,557
2013 modern 4,350 #1,578
2014 modern 4,389 #1,578
2015 modern 4,309 #1,584
2016 modern 4,260 #1,595

Geography

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Where Dawkins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Southampton St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley, Eastleigh and Harborough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 009 Test Valley
2 Test Valley 013 Test Valley
3 Eastleigh 006 Eastleigh
4 Eastleigh 012 Eastleigh
5 Harborough 004 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dawkins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dawkins

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dawkins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dawkins household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dawkins is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Dawkins is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dawkins falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dawkins is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dawkins, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dawkins

The surname Dawkins is of English origin, deriving from the Old English personal name "Deowine" or "Deor-wine", which translates to "dear friend" or "beloved friend". The name dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Dawkins can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Deuuine", reflecting the spelling variations common in medieval times.

In the 13th century, the surname Dawkins began to emerge as a more established form, often associated with the place name "Dawkins" in Shropshire, England. This place name likely derived from the Old English "Deor-wine" and the suffix "-ingis", indicating a settlement or estate belonging to someone named Deor-wine.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Dawkins was John Dawkins, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Another notable figure was Sir William Dawkins (c. 1460 - 1521), who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire and was involved in the Wars of the Roses.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dawkins family gained prominence in various parts of England, particularly in Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire. Notable individuals from this period include Richard Dawkins (1557 - 1622), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Shropshire, and Walter Dawkins (1597 - 1669), a clergyman and author of religious works.

In the 18th century, Henry Dawkins (1728 - 1814) was a notable English antiquarian and collector of ancient manuscripts and artifacts. He played a significant role in preserving historical records and furthering the study of antiquities.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir Clinton Edward Dawkins (1859 - 1905) was a British diplomat and explorer who conducted extensive archaeological work in Cyprus and Greece, contributing greatly to the understanding of ancient civilizations in the region.

Throughout history, the Dawkins surname has been associated with various notable figures across various fields, including academia, literature, and science. One of the most prominent bearers of the name in modern times is Richard Dawkins (born 1941), the renowned evolutionary biologist, author, and outspoken advocate for atheism and scientific education.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dawkins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dawkins 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 383 Dawkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.81x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 383 1.81x
Hampshire 342 7.89x
Kent 221 3.06x
Essex 138 3.30x
Leicestershire 136 5.80x
Surrey 126 1.22x
Glamorgan 95 2.58x
Northamptonshire 86 4.32x
Pembrokeshire 69 10.26x
Wiltshire 67 3.58x
Lincolnshire 50 1.48x
Staffordshire 41 0.57x
Warwickshire 41 0.77x
Yorkshire 33 0.16x
Derbyshire 32 0.97x
Suffolk 30 1.16x
Sussex 30 0.84x
Cambridgeshire 26 1.94x
Buckinghamshire 23 1.80x
Lancashire 23 0.09x
Monmouthshire 19 1.24x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.63x
Worcestershire 18 0.65x
Gloucestershire 16 0.39x
Durham 15 0.24x
Dorset 14 1.01x
Devon 12 0.27x
Oxfordshire 9 0.69x
Berkshire 8 0.50x
Cheshire 8 0.17x
Cornwall 8 0.33x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.67x
Norfolk 4 0.12x
Morayshire 3 0.91x
Renfrewshire 3 0.18x
Royal Navy 3 1.19x
Channel Islands 2 0.32x
Cumberland 2 0.11x
Hertfordshire 2 0.14x
Somerset 2 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.05x
Bedfordshire 1 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.24x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Rutland 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Millbrook in Hampshire leads with 58 Dawkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.10x.

Place Total Index
Millbrook 58 53.10x
Islington London 48 2.34x
Bromley London 36 7.73x
Shoreditch London 36 3.93x
Bethnal Green London 31 3.37x
Leicester St Margaret 30 5.24x
Portsea 30 3.53x
Southampton St Mary 30 11.00x
St Marylebone London 29 2.57x
Lambeth 28 1.52x
Paddington London 27 3.47x
West Ham 27 2.93x
Barford St Martin 23 676.47x
Hackney London 22 1.85x
Merthyr Tydfil 22 6.21x
Congerstone 21 1448.28x
Northampton Priory St 21 17.59x
Romsey Extra 21 81.43x
Pembroke St Mary 20 23.10x
Southampton All Sts 20 26.88x
Chelsea London 19 2.98x
Leicester St Mary 19 10.02x
Canterbury St Alphage 17 220.49x
Fulham London 17 5.54x
Romsey Infra 17 115.65x
South Stoneham 17 18.07x
West Tytherley 17 550.16x
Ystradyfodwg 17 5.26x
Newington 16 2.05x
Canterbury St Mary 14 28.90x
Llandaff 14 11.42x
Llantwit Vairdre 14 33.81x
Moreton 14 426.83x
Battersea 13 1.67x
Loughton 13 62.95x
Salisbury St Edmund 13 43.28x
Cransley 12 506.33x
Gorleston 12 18.33x
Kensington London 12 1.02x
Armitage 11 118.28x
Church Gresley 11 20.87x
Eling 11 25.04x
Romford 11 16.66x
Aston 10 0.68x
Ewell Lydden 10 177.94x
Grantchester 10 119.90x
Greenwich 10 2.97x
Kettering 10 12.42x
Mile End Old Town London 10 2.22x
Nursling 10 144.30x
Stapenhill 10 20.28x
Warblington 10 58.14x
White Roothing 10 326.80x
Womenswould 10 609.76x
Brighton 9 1.25x
Chigwell 9 22.83x
Erwarton 9 714.29x
Sibson 9 324.91x
Southwark St Saviour 9 8.28x
St George Hanover Square 9 2.41x
St Pancras London 9 0.53x
Trevethin 9 6.23x
Alkham 8 192.31x
Cheriton 8 27.18x
Clase 8 5.84x
Croydon 8 1.40x
Earl Shilton 8 156.56x
Ellingham 8 388.35x
Hampstead London 8 2.43x
Hinckley 8 14.38x
Holdenhurst 8 7.03x
Lewisham 8 2.08x
Mylor 8 49.84x
Northampton St Giles 8 10.55x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.08x
Ramsgate 8 6.79x
Rugeley 8 15.61x
St Petrox 8 909.09x
St Swithin Lincoln 8 15.04x
Swingfield 8 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 131
Elizabeth 81
Sarah 72
Ann 52
Eliza 51
Jane 43
Alice 37
Annie 29
Emily 29
Emma 29
Ellen 27
Kate 20
Charlotte 18
Clara 18
Martha 18
Edith 15
Harriet 15
Ada 13
Hannah 13
Margaret 13
Amelia 11
Catherine 11
Louisa 11
Lucy 11
Maria 11
Anne 10
Caroline 10
Fanny 10
Florence 10
Frances 10
Susan 10
Julia 9
Agnes 7
Eleanor 7
Rose 7
Ethel 6
Harriett 6
Francis 5
Jessie 5
Marion 5
Minnie 5
Beatrice 4
Bessie 4
Florance 4
Laura 4
Lavinia 4
Lydia 4
Rebecca 4
Rosa 4
Sophia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 136
George 99
John 94
Thomas 72
Charles 66
James 61
Henry 51
Edward 36
Alfred 33
Joseph 27
Frederick 20
Harry 20
Arthur 18
Albert 17
Robert 13
Walter 13
Herbert 12
Frank 10
Daniel 9
Edwin 9
Ernest 9
Samuel 9
Wm. 9
Benjamin 8
Lewis 8
Richard 8
Stephen 8
Fred 6
Francis 5
David 4
Fredk. 4
Fredrick 4
Jas. 4
Percy 4
Sydney 4
Tom 4
W. 4
Chas. 3
Geo. 3
Jesse 3
Joshua 3
Leonard 3
Morgan 3
Oliver 3
Thos. 3
Willm. 3
Edmund 2
Nicholas 2
Phillip 2
Sidney 2

FAQ

Dawkins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dawkins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,164 people were recorded with the Dawkins surname. That placed it at #2,051 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dawkins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,260 in 2016. That gives Dawkins a modern rank of #1,595.

What does the Dawkins surname mean?

Derived from the Welsh patronymic name "Daw" or "Dawi," meaning "son of David" or "beloved."

What does the Dawkins map show?

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