NameCensus.

UK surname

Deal

An English occupational surname for a dealer, trader, or someone who makes transactions.

In the 1881 census there were 736 people recorded with the Deal surname, ranking it #4,976 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 921, ranked #6,194, down from #4,976 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hedingham, Sible, Foxearth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Bexley and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deal is 1,017 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.1%.

1881 census count

736

Ranked #4,976

Modern count

921

2016, ranked #6,194

Peak year

1998

1,017 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deal had 736 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,976 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 921 in 2016, ranked #6,194.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,008 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Deal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deal surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deal 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 545 #4,633
1861 historical 759 #3,603
1881 historical 736 #4,976
1891 historical 805 #5,005
1901 historical 893 #5,177
1911 historical 1,008 #4,514
1997 modern 998 #5,508
1998 modern 1,017 #5,605
1999 modern 1,014 #5,653
2000 modern 990 #5,734
2001 modern 961 #5,773
2002 modern 990 #5,743
2003 modern 953 #5,822
2004 modern 963 #5,780
2005 modern 916 #5,944
2006 modern 908 #6,005
2007 modern 910 #6,036
2008 modern 935 #5,954
2009 modern 965 #5,930
2010 modern 995 #5,899
2011 modern 959 #6,028
2012 modern 956 #5,941
2013 modern 970 #5,969
2014 modern 971 #6,010
2015 modern 938 #6,133
2016 modern 921 #6,194

Geography

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Where Deals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hedingham, Sible, Foxearth, London parishes and Bulmer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Bexley, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. 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 Hedingham, Sible Essex
2 Foxearth Suffolk
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Bulmer Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 004 Braintree
2 Braintree 003 Braintree
3 Bexley 017 Bexley
4 Southend-on-Sea 011 Southend-on-Sea
5 Thurrock 018 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deal

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deal

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Deal 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

Deal is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Deal

The surname DEAL is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "dele," meaning a share or portion of land. It first appeared in the 13th century in the counties of Kent and Sussex, which were areas where the practice of dividing and allocating land was common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John atte Dele is mentioned. This entry suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a piece of divided or allocated land.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Dele, Deale, and Diele, reflecting the diverse ways in which it was pronounced and recorded by scribes of the time.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain a reference to a William de la Dele, indicating that the surname may have been associated with a particular place or location known as "the dele" or "the portion."

A notable bearer of the name was Sir John Deal (c.1570-1639), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the governor of the East India Company's settlement in Surat, India. He played a significant role in establishing British trade in the region.

Another individual of historical note was Sir Edward Deal (c.1595-1665), a member of the Virginia Company and a prominent figure in the early colonization of Virginia. He was granted land in the colony and served as a member of the Council of State during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Kent in 1664, where a Thomas Deal is listed as a householder.

The name DEAL can also be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a family bearing the surname was recorded in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Other notable individuals with the surname DEAL include Sir Robert Deal (c.1570-1628), an English lawyer and member of Parliament, and John Deal (c.1615-1681), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Topsfield, Massachusetts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deal 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. Essex leads with 247 Deals recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.38x.

County Total Index
Essex 247 17.38x
Kent 148 6.03x
Middlesex 143 1.99x
Surrey 66 1.88x
Suffolk 30 3.42x
Hampshire 19 1.29x
Lancashire 19 0.22x
Sussex 11 0.91x
Warwickshire 9 0.50x
Devon 7 0.47x
Norfolk 5 0.45x
Staffordshire 5 0.21x
Yorkshire 5 0.07x
Glamorgan 3 0.24x
Gloucestershire 3 0.21x
Berkshire 2 0.37x
Durham 2 0.09x
Leicestershire 2 0.25x
Northumberland 2 0.19x
Bedfordshire 1 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.23x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.70x
Monmouthshire 1 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 1.17x
Worcestershire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Belchamp Walter in Essex leads with 38 Deals recorded in 1881 and an index of 2500.00x.

Place Total Index
Belchamp Walter 38 2500.00x
Belchamp St Paul 36 2068.97x
Barking 23 55.32x
Islington London 22 3.15x
Foxearth 19 1938.78x
Bermondsey 16 7.47x
Bethnal Green London 16 5.12x
Bulmer 16 930.23x
Deptford St Paul 16 8.45x
Southampton St Mary 14 15.09x
St Marylebone London 14 3.64x
Sible Hedingham 13 273.68x
Rotherhithe 12 13.49x
Westbere 12 2000.00x
Bromley London 10 6.31x
Marks Tey 10 990.10x
Mile End Old Town London 10 6.53x
Richmond 10 20.34x
Assington 9 491.80x
Ickham Well 9 638.30x
Minster In Sheppey 9 22.12x
Barham 8 320.00x
Feering 8 427.81x
Halstead 8 48.25x
Heybridge 8 193.70x
Leigh 8 161.94x
Pentlow 8 1095.89x
St Andrew Holborn London 8 25.67x
Bocking 7 81.87x
Chatham 7 10.36x
Chelmsford 7 28.71x
Folkestone 7 14.69x
Lambeth 7 1.12x
Southwold 7 134.87x
St George In East London 7 10.34x
Wootton 7 1842.11x
Aston 6 1.20x
Brighton 6 2.45x
Dover St Mary Virgin 6 25.24x
Great Cornard 6 303.03x
Greenwich 6 5.24x
Lee 6 16.83x
Lyminge 6 284.36x
Chartham 5 81.70x
Croydon 5 2.57x
Fulham London 5 4.79x
Great Yarmouth 5 5.45x
Hastings St Mary 5 16.55x
St Anne Soho London 5 12.16x
St Luke London 5 4.33x
West Derby 5 2.00x
Willenhall 5 10.98x
Acton 4 9.48x
Cheetham 4 6.28x
Elham 4 136.52x
Ewell Lydden 4 209.42x
Greenstead 4 193.24x
Hackney London 4 0.99x
Hampstead London 4 3.57x
Leyton Low 4 13.85x
Little Clacton 4 264.90x
Little Dunmow 4 481.93x
Newington 4 1.50x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.76x
Tamerton Foliott 4 138.89x
Ashburton 3 41.90x
Battersea 3 1.13x
Birmingham 3 0.50x
Boughton Aluph 3 215.83x
Broughton In Salford 3 3.84x
Canterbury St George 3 101.69x
Clapham 3 3.33x
Denton In Dover 3 882.35x
Great Maplestead 3 309.28x
North Cray 3 192.31x
Oldham 3 1.09x
Ruislip 3 83.80x
Selby 3 20.12x
St Pancras London 3 0.52x
Stisted 3 163.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 48
George 35
John 30
James 26
Charles 22
Alfred 17
Henry 17
Walter 17
Joseph 14
Arthur 11
Edward 11
Albert 10
Frederick 8
Thomas 8
Philip 6
Richard 5
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Harry 4
Austin 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Francis 3
Jacob 3
Austen 2
Edgar 2
Edwin 2
Elias 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
J.J. 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Randal 2
Robert 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
Solomon 2
Chas. 1
Chas.Alf. 1
Earnest 1
Ephriam 1
Ezijekel 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Joe 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Luke 1

FAQ

Deal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 736 people were recorded with the Deal surname. That placed it at #4,976 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 921 in 2016. That gives Deal a modern rank of #6,194.

What does the Deal surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a dealer, trader, or someone who makes transactions.

What does the Deal map show?

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