NameCensus.

UK surname

Dayson

An English surname likely derived from a patronymic meaning "son of Daye" or "son of Daya."

In the 1881 census there were 162 people recorded with the Dayson surname, ranking it #14,746 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, down from #14,746 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lambley (incl. Ash Holm), Burslem and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Carmarthenshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dayson is 251 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.9%.

1881 census count

162

Ranked #14,746

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

1861

251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dayson had 162 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,746 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 251 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dayson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dayson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dayson 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 251 #9,830
1881 historical 162 #14,746
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 172 #16,643
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 130 #23,902
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 145 #23,473
2010 modern 154 #23,082
2011 modern 151 #23,204
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Daysons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lambley (incl. Ash Holm), Burslem, Leeds, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Carmarthenshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Carlisle and Malvern Hills. 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 Lambley (incl. Ash Holm) Northumberland
2 Burslem Staffordshire
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 002 Eden
2 Carmarthenshire 021 Carmarthenshire
3 Stoke-on-Trent 007 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Carlisle 005 Carlisle
5 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dayson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dayson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Dayson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dayson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Dayson is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dayson is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dayson falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dayson

The surname DAYSON is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "daeg" meaning "day" and "sunu" meaning "son," suggesting it was initially a descriptive surname given to someone who was born during the day.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DAYSON surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record from 1273, where a certain William Dayson is mentioned as a resident of the village of Kidlington.

The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset during the 13th and 14th centuries. This is evidenced by various mentions in parish records, tax rolls, and legal documents from that era.

In the late 15th century, a DAYSON family established themselves as landowners in the village of Pucklechurch, near Bristol. Richard DAYSON, who lived from around 1460 to 1525, is recorded as the owner of a substantial estate in the area.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain John DAYSON fought for the Parliamentarian forces and is mentioned in dispatches from the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the DAYSON name spread to other regions of England, with notable members including the author and scholar William DAYSON (1706-1784), who wrote extensively on classical literature.

As the British Empire expanded, the DAYSON surname also found its way to various colonies. One prominent example is James DAYSON (1765-1843), a merchant and entrepreneur who made his fortune in the West Indies trade and later became a landowner in Virginia.

Other historical figures with the DAYSON surname include the artist Emily DAYSON (1830-1912), known for her landscapes and portraits, and Sir Robert DAYSON (1857-1933), a politician and diplomat who served as the British Ambassador to Spain in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dayson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dayson 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 44 Daysons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.81x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 44 2.81x
Staffordshire 31 5.81x
Lancashire 16 0.85x
Surrey 15 1.95x
Cumberland 10 7.35x
Middlesex 10 0.63x
Cheshire 7 2.01x
Glamorgan 6 2.18x
Monmouthshire 6 5.25x
Warwickshire 5 1.25x
Westmorland 5 14.40x
Somerset 3 1.18x
Derbyshire 2 0.81x
Northumberland 1 0.43x
Shropshire 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burslem in Staffordshire leads with 17 Daysons recorded in 1881 and an index of 111.26x.

Place Total Index
Burslem 17 111.26x
Holbeck 15 144.65x
Oldham 10 16.52x
Battersea 7 12.04x
Leeds 7 7.92x
Northen Etchells 7 1707.32x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 12.38x
Aberystruth 6 59.58x
Cwmdu 6 179.10x
Penrith 6 119.28x
Southwark St Saviour 6 73.89x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 15.70x
Ecclesfield 5 43.55x
Huddersfield 5 21.92x
Islington London 5 3.26x
Mirfield 5 58.14x
West Derby 5 9.11x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 4 476.19x
Newcastle Under Lyme 4 42.37x
Aston 3 2.73x
Brampton 3 160.43x
Taunton St Mary 3 64.24x
Batley 2 13.44x
Birmingham 2 1.51x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 6.29x
St Martin In Fields 2 21.14x
Ballidon 1 1666.67x
Bilston 1 9.67x
Burton Upon Trent 1 8.01x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.68x
Eggington 1 454.55x
Hammersmith London 1 2.57x
Hartleyburn 1 357.14x
Hesket In Forest 1 94.34x
Ightenhill Park 1 909.09x
Leek Lowe 1 14.08x
Staines 1 40.00x
Undermilbeck 1 86.96x
Wellington 1 13.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 8
Charles 7
William 7
George 6
Joseph 3
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Ralph 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Archbold 1
Archibald 1
Chas.William 1
Edward 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
James 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Mann 1
Jas.Thos. 1
Luke 1
Robert 1
Robt.Edd. 1
Thos. 1
Thos.K.V. 1
Tom 1
Willey 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dayson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dayson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 162 people were recorded with the Dayson surname. That placed it at #14,746 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dayson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Dayson a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Dayson surname mean?

An English surname likely derived from a patronymic meaning "son of Daye" or "son of Daya."

What does the Dayson map show?

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