NameCensus.

UK surname

Dawson

Son of David or Daw, derived from the Welsh patronymic "ab Dafydd" or "ap Dafydd."

In the 1881 census there were 32,910 people recorded with the Dawson surname, ranking it #96 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 38,167, ranked #133, down from #96 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Boston and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dawson is 39,835 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.0%.

1881 census count

32,910

Ranked #96

Modern count

38,167

2016, ranked #133

Peak year

1901

39,835 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dawson had 32,910 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #96 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 38,167 in 2016, ranked #133.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 39,835 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dawson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dawson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dawson 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 22,299 #95
1861 historical 23,163 #90
1881 historical 32,910 #96
1891 historical 34,805 #97
1901 historical 39,835 #98
1911 historical 39,139 #92
1997 modern 37,868 #124
1998 modern 39,551 #123
1999 modern 39,772 #123
2000 modern 39,746 #123
2001 modern 38,739 #123
2002 modern 39,286 #125
2003 modern 38,166 #130
2004 modern 38,013 #130
2005 modern 37,357 #131
2006 modern 37,354 #131
2007 modern 37,560 #132
2008 modern 37,797 #132
2009 modern 38,584 #133
2010 modern 39,247 #133
2011 modern 38,701 #133
2012 modern 37,911 #134
2013 modern 38,687 #134
2014 modern 38,888 #134
2015 modern 38,418 #134
2016 modern 38,167 #133

Geography

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Where Dawsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, London parishes, Leeds and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Boston, Derbyshire Dales and County Durham. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
3 Boston 004 Boston
4 Derbyshire Dales 009 Derbyshire Dales
5 County Durham 004 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dawson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dawson

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

Dawson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dawson

The surname Dawson traces its origins to England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is believed to have emerged around the 12th century as a patronymic name, derived from the medieval given name "Daw," a diminutive form of the name David.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dawson can be found in various historical documents, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which mention individuals like Willelmus Daweson and Johanna Daweson. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname Dawson as it was compiled before the name came into use.

The surname Dawson may also have originated from certain place names, particularly in Yorkshire, where it was common practice to derive surnames from the names of villages or geographic features. For instance, the village of Dawson near Huddersfield, or the Dawson River in Westmorland, could have contributed to the formation of the name.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Dawson was William Dawson (c. 1510-1555), an English cleric and theologian who served as the Archbishop of York from 1555 until his death. Another prominent individual was Sir John Dawson (1556-1626), an English courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.

In the literary world, Peter Dawson (1882-1961), an Australian baritone and one of the most famous singers of the early 20th century, left a lasting legacy. William James Dawson (1854-1928), an American composer and choral conductor, is renowned for his work in preserving and promoting the Negro spiritual genre.

Lastly, Thomas Dawson (1725-1811), an English botanist and horticulturist, made significant contributions to the study of plants and their cultivation. He is particularly known for introducing many exotic plant species to Britain from various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dawson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dawson 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 7,086 Dawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 7,086 2.22x
Lancashire 6,423 1.68x
Durham 2,092 2.18x
Middlesex 1,731 0.54x
Lincolnshire 1,641 3.19x
Northumberland 1,047 2.19x
Staffordshire 1,047 0.96x
Surrey 1,002 0.64x
Cheshire 995 1.40x
Norfolk 801 1.62x
Derbyshire 622 1.23x
Lanarkshire 586 0.56x
Kent 525 0.48x
Essex 524 0.82x
Cumberland 466 1.68x
Warwickshire 466 0.57x
Aberdeenshire 450 1.51x
Midlothian 315 0.73x
Stirlingshire 309 2.60x
Nottinghamshire 306 0.71x
Sussex 270 0.50x
Leicestershire 250 0.70x
Clackmannanshire 224 8.42x
Berkshire 221 0.91x
Hampshire 217 0.33x
Northamptonshire 207 0.68x
Bedfordshire 190 1.14x
Angus 185 0.62x
Fife 180 0.94x
Suffolk 175 0.45x
Westmorland 173 2.44x
Cambridgeshire 172 0.84x
Perthshire 161 1.11x
Banffshire 158 2.37x
Devon 144 0.21x
Oxfordshire 142 0.71x
Hertfordshire 127 0.57x
Gloucestershire 115 0.18x
Renfrewshire 106 0.42x
Shropshire 84 0.30x
Isle of Man 76 1.27x
Rutland 75 3.17x
Worcestershire 65 0.15x
Huntingdonshire 56 0.88x
Morayshire 54 1.08x
Ayrshire 53 0.22x
Argyllshire 50 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 50 0.26x
Somerset 48 0.09x
Wiltshire 42 0.15x
Glamorgan 39 0.07x
Denbighshire 37 0.30x
Kincardineshire 37 0.94x
Dunbartonshire 36 0.42x
Channel Islands 35 0.37x
Dorset 32 0.15x
Inverness-shire 28 0.29x
West Lothian 28 0.58x
East Lothian 24 0.56x
Monmouthshire 22 0.09x
Berwickshire 20 0.51x
Flintshire 19 0.22x
Royal Navy 18 0.47x
Ross-shire 17 0.19x
Cornwall 16 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 11 0.15x
Nairnshire 10 1.02x
Roxburghshire 10 0.17x
Cardiganshire 7 0.09x
Herefordshire 7 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 0.15x
Selkirkshire 7 0.24x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.04x
Caithness 5 0.11x
Orkney 5 0.14x
Peeblesshire 4 0.26x
Anglesey 3 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.03x
Kinross-shire 2 0.25x
Merionethshire 2 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.03x
Wigtownshire 2 0.05x
Brecknockshire 1 0.02x
Buteshire 1 0.05x
Radnorshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 417 Dawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.38x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 417 3.38x
Leeds 372 2.06x
Stoke Upon Trent 249 2.16x
Salford 237 2.11x
Islington London 224 0.72x
Manchester 206 1.20x
Preston 200 1.96x
Barony 191 0.72x
Blackburn 188 1.85x
Castleton 183 4.80x
Bradford 181 2.34x
Camberwell 180 0.88x
Aston 173 0.77x
Huddersfield 172 3.70x
Sheffield 169 1.66x
Birmingham 166 0.61x
Liverpool 161 0.69x
Lambeth 156 0.56x
Alva 147 25.95x
Holy Trinity 146 1.90x
Stansfield 146 12.43x
Ashton Under Lyne 139 1.66x
Bishopwearmouth 139 1.69x
St Pancras London 138 0.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 134 0.77x
Bury 133 3.05x
Idle 129 8.72x
Barrow In Furness 125 2.41x
Alloa 124 9.61x
Everton 124 1.02x
Pilkington 121 8.34x
Ecclesfield 119 5.09x
Glasgow 119 0.64x
Hackney London 118 0.65x
Pendleton In Salford 118 2.59x
Govan 117 0.45x
Hulme 117 1.47x
West Ham 116 0.83x
Stockton On Tees 111 2.40x
Keighley 109 3.20x
Toxteth Park 109 0.84x
Almondbury 108 7.00x
Great Bolton 108 2.13x
Heap 108 5.33x
Elswick 104 2.72x
Middlesbrough 104 2.50x
Sculcoates 104 2.06x
Newton 103 3.50x
Otley 102 13.16x
Todmorden Walsden 102 9.96x
Shoreditch London 101 0.72x
Aberdeen Old Machar 96 1.54x
Great Grimsby 94 2.88x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 93 1.67x
Hunslet 93 1.87x
St Marylebone London 93 0.54x
Crook Billy Row 91 7.42x
Little Bolton 91 1.85x
Tynemouth 91 3.55x
West Derby 90 0.81x
Dewsbury 87 2.66x
Ecclesall Bierlow 87 1.34x
Holbeck 86 4.07x
Battersea 85 0.72x
Stanhope 85 8.59x
Spotland 83 1.95x
Gateshead 82 1.14x
Horton In Bradford 82 1.65x
Bedlington 81 5.06x
Tillicoultry 81 13.69x
Langfield 79 14.15x
Newington 78 0.66x
Bowling 77 2.44x
Halifax 77 1.64x
Paddington London 77 0.65x
Scarborough 77 2.66x
Chadderton 75 4.01x
Nottingham St Mary 75 0.67x
Dundee 74 0.66x
Chorlton On Medlock 73 1.20x
Westoe 73 1.34x
Bethnal Green London 72 0.51x
Birkenhead 72 1.27x
Manningham 72 1.83x
Glossop Dale 71 3.01x
Norton In Moors 71 12.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2,226
Elizabeth 1,214
Sarah 1,177
Jane 653
Ann 649
Alice 498
Hannah 479
Annie 445
Emma 419
Ellen 412
Eliza 374
Margaret 369
Martha 305
Emily 270
Harriet 188
Isabella 179
Maria 173
Ada 150
Clara 149
Edith 143
Louisa 137
Charlotte 135
Agnes 123
Fanny 120
Catherine 118
Caroline 117
Anne 116
Florence 115
Frances 114
Esther 97
Kate 95
Lucy 93
Rebecca 80
Susannah 77
Amelia 76
Rose 69
Betsy 65
Harriett 65
Susan 64
Amy 63
Eleanor 60
Elizth. 59
Sophia 57
Julia 56
Jessie 54
Rachel 53
Grace 51
Betty 50
Gertrude 48
Matilda 46

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2,007
William 1,878
Thomas 1,018
George 988
James 934
Joseph 624
Robert 523
Charles 476
Henry 468
Edward 296
Samuel 271
Arthur 261
Alfred 245
Richard 227
Frederick 193
Walter 170
Albert 164
Harry 156
Herbert 136
Frank 120
Ernest 114
Fred 103
Wm. 98
Edwin 97
David 96
Benjamin 91
Tom 66
Daniel 60
Isaac 57
Peter 55
Francis 53
Thos. 52
Stephen 51
Jonathan 49
Matthew 49
Joshua 43
Ralph 43
Abraham 40
Mark 34
Geo. 32
Sam 31
Christopher 29
Edmund 29
Jno. 29
Percy 29
Philip 28
Andrew 27
Harold 27
Joe 26
Robt. 26

FAQ

Dawson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dawson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 32,910 people were recorded with the Dawson surname. That placed it at #96 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dawson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 38,167 in 2016. That gives Dawson a modern rank of #133.

What does the Dawson surname mean?

Son of David or Daw, derived from the Welsh patronymic "ab Dafydd" or "ap Dafydd."

What does the Dawson map show?

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