NameCensus.

UK surname

Dayer

A surname potentially derived from the French occupation of dayworker or laborer.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Dayer surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ruchill, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dayer is 320 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.2%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1861

320 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dayer had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 320 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Dayer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dayer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dayer 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 320 #7,960
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 203 #14,754
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 134 #19,131
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Dayers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Govan Combination, London parishes, St Philip and Jacob and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ruchill, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, St Albans, Chelmsford and Wychavon. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ruchill Glasgow City
2 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
3 St Albans 002 St Albans
4 Chelmsford 014 Chelmsford
5 Wychavon 005 Wychavon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dayer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dayer

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Dayer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Dayer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Dayer is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dayer is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dayer 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 Dayer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dayer

The surname DAYER is believed to have originated from the Old French word "daeir" which means "to mow" or "to cut grass." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a mower or a haymaker.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname DAYER can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. It is possible that the name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. In fact, the Domesday Book of 1086 contains a reference to a landowner named Radulfus le Daeir, which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern surname DAYER.

During the Middle Ages, the DAYER surname spread across various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable individual from this period was Sir John Dayer, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Oxfordshire in the late 14th century.

By the 16th century, the DAYER surname had become well-established in England, with various spelling variations such as Dair, Daire, and Dayer. One notable figure from this era was William Dayer, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the mid-16th century.

As the surname spread across different regions, it also evolved into various spellings and variations. In Scotland, for instance, the surname was often spelled as Dair or Daire, while in Ireland, it was sometimes written as O'Dayer or Dyer.

In the 17th century, the DAYER surname continued to be prominent in England, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Sir Edward Dayer, a wealthy landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 1620s.

Another notable individual with the DAYER surname was John Dayer, a renowned botanist and naturalist who lived in the late 17th century. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and is credited with discovering several new species of plants.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the DAYER surname continued to be well-represented across various parts of England, as well as in other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Dayer, a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in London during the late 18th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dayer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dayer 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 28 Dayers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 28 2.61x
Lanarkshire 21 6.05x
Warwickshire 10 3.70x
Northumberland 8 5.01x
Surrey 8 1.53x
Gloucestershire 7 3.33x
Kent 6 1.64x
Norfolk 5 3.03x
Monmouthshire 4 5.16x
Somerset 3 1.74x
Lancashire 2 0.16x
Shropshire 2 2.16x
Berkshire 1 1.24x
Devon 1 0.45x
Herefordshire 1 2.27x
Huntingdonshire 1 4.69x
Midlothian 1 0.70x
Oxfordshire 1 1.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Dayers recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.48x.

Place Total Index
Govan 15 17.48x
Birmingham 10 11.09x
St Clement Danes London 9 405.41x
Tweedmouth 8 402.01x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 35.34x
Barony 6 6.83x
St Pancras London 6 6.95x
Norwich St James 5 387.60x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 23.16x
St Woollos 4 46.19x
Woolwich 4 29.56x
Bath St James 3 166.67x
Clerkenwell London 3 11.84x
Lambeth 3 3.21x
Westminster St John 3 22.95x
Chiswick 2 34.13x
Liverpool 2 2.59x
Wem 2 144.93x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.73x
Exeter St Edmund 1 208.33x
Hackney London 1 1.66x
Maidstone 1 9.17x
Plumstead 1 8.20x
Ramsey 1 58.48x
Ross 1 57.14x
Sandhurst 1 64.10x
Sarsden 1 1666.67x
St Dionis Backchurch 1 1250.00x
St Martin In Fields 1 15.58x
St Martin Outwich London 1 5000.00x
Whitechapel London 1 9.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 9
William 8
George 3
James 3
Edward 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Caroline 1
Charles 1
Dan 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Ephraim 1
Frank 1
G.W. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
John 1
Philip 1
Samuel 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Dayer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dayer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Dayer surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dayer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Dayer a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Dayer surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the French occupation of dayworker or laborer.

What does the Dayer map show?

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