NameCensus.

UK surname

Days

An English surname derived from the plural of "day", potentially indicating a connection to a specific day or time.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Days surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, down from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Quinton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, West Oxfordshire and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Days is 186 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

1861

186 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Days had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 186 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Days surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Days surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Days 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 186 #12,751
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 97 #28,383
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 100 #28,669
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Days' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Quinton, Ipsley and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, West Oxfordshire and Bristol. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Quinton Warwickshire
4 Ipsley Warwickshire
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 011 County Durham
2 West Oxfordshire 004 West Oxfordshire
3 County Durham 005 County Durham
4 County Durham 013 County Durham
5 Bristol 041 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Days

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Days

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Days surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Days household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Days 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

Days is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Days falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Days

The surname Days is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "dæg", meaning "day". It initially emerged as a nickname for someone who was cheerful, bright, or radiant, much like the qualities of the daytime.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Days dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where it appears as "Godeday". This spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the phrase "good day", further reinforcing its association with a positive and cheerful disposition.

Throughout history, the Days surname has been found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was spelled "Dayes". The Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428 mentions a John Dayes, indicating the surname's widespread use across different regions of England.

Notably, the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Days. However, it does record numerous place names that may have influenced the surname's development, such as Daylesford in Worcestershire and Daybrook in Nottinghamshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Days was John Days, a prominent lawyer and member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the dissolution of the monasteries and the subsequent redistribution of their lands.

Another notable figure was Richard Days, an English clergyman and academic who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the Provost of Eton College from 1598 to 1619 and was praised for his efforts in promoting education and scholarship.

In the realm of literature, Thomas Days (1648-1739) was an English poet and author known for his religious and moral works, including "The Works of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Days, Containing an Entire Body of Practical Divinity" published in 1723.

The Days surname also gained recognition in the field of science with the contributions of Arthur Days (1822-1912), a British astronomer and mathematician. He made significant advancements in the study of planetary motions and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1858.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the legacy of Dorothy Days (1897-1980), an American journalist, social activist, and devout Catholic convert. She co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement and was a vocal advocate for the poor and marginalized, earning her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Days families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Days 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. Worcestershire leads with 23 Days' recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.08x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 23 24.08x
Warwickshire 11 5.96x
Middlesex 10 1.37x
Yorkshire 7 0.97x
Durham 6 2.76x
Glamorgan 6 4.71x
Surrey 5 1.40x
Lancashire 3 0.35x
Angus 1 1.48x
Gloucestershire 1 0.70x
Kent 1 0.40x
Midlothian 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Feckenham in Worcestershire leads with 18 Days' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1651.38x.

Place Total Index
Feckenham 18 1651.38x
Aston 6 11.81x
Neath 6 231.66x
Ealing 5 76.45x
Kidderminster Borough 5 89.45x
Whitworth 4 251.57x
Blatchinworth 3 151.52x
Bradford 3 17.09x
Newington 3 11.10x
Camberwell 2 4.28x
Holy Trinity 2 11.47x
Stratford On Avon 2 196.08x
Wixford 2 6666.67x
Birmingham 1 1.63x
Clerkenwell London 1 5.79x
Dundee 1 3.95x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.54x
Islington London 1 1.41x
Leeds 1 2.44x
Medomsley 1 98.04x
Middlesbrough 1 10.59x
Quinton 1 769.23x
St Marylebone London 1 2.56x
St Pancras London 1 1.70x
Stockton On Tees 1 9.53x
Westminster St Margaret 1 28.33x
Woolwich 1 10.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Ann 3
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Margaret 2
Rebecca 2
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Diana 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Honor 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kergia 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 5
Thomas 3
William 3
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Michael 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Willie 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Days surname: questions and answers

How common was the Days surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Days surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Days surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Days a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Days surname mean?

An English surname derived from the plural of "day", potentially indicating a connection to a specific day or time.

What does the Days map show?

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