NameCensus.

UK surname

Dearden

A locational surname derived from a place called Dearden in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,934 people recorded with the Dearden surname, ranking it #1,523 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,414, ranked #2,729, down from #1,523 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, St. Helens and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dearden is 3,715 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.7%.

1881 census count

2,934

Ranked #1,523

Modern count

2,414

2016, ranked #2,729

Peak year

1911

3,715 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dearden had 2,934 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,523 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,414 in 2016, ranked #2,729.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,715 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dearden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dearden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dearden 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 2,117 #1,377
1861 historical 1,820 #1,592
1881 historical 2,934 #1,523
1891 historical 3,155 #1,497
1901 historical 3,397 #1,638
1911 historical 3,715 #1,398
1997 modern 2,529 #2,499
1998 modern 2,617 #2,504
1999 modern 2,640 #2,504
2000 modern 2,622 #2,507
2001 modern 2,553 #2,513
2002 modern 2,594 #2,537
2003 modern 2,505 #2,565
2004 modern 2,542 #2,526
2005 modern 2,451 #2,582
2006 modern 2,433 #2,602
2007 modern 2,436 #2,625
2008 modern 2,452 #2,627
2009 modern 2,488 #2,657
2010 modern 2,537 #2,661
2011 modern 2,468 #2,702
2012 modern 2,406 #2,703
2013 modern 2,447 #2,716
2014 modern 2,465 #2,715
2015 modern 2,423 #2,727
2016 modern 2,414 #2,729

Geography

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Where Deardens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, Sheffield, Bolton-le-Moors and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, St. Helens and Rochdale. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen
2 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
3 Rochdale 001 Rochdale
4 Rochdale 004 Rochdale
5 Rochdale 005 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dearden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dearden

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dearden is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dearden 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dearden

The surname DEARDEN is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Deardengate in Yorkshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "deor," meaning deer, and "denu," meaning valley or wooded pasture.

DEARDEN is also closely related to the place name Dearden, which is a township in the parish of Whalley, Lancashire. Historical records suggest that the name was initially spelled as "Derdene" or "Derdyn" before evolving into its current form.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DEARDEN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where it appears as "de Derdene." This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the DEARDEN surname is John Dearden (1551-1628), an English Catholic martyr who was executed for his faith during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was Sir Ralph Assheton Dearden (1699-1772), a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Clitheroe from 1734 to 1768.

The name DEARDEN also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England. However, the specific entry is not mentioned, as the Domesday Book covers a vast array of information.

In the 17th century, Thomas Dearden (1608-1673) was a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Walton-on-the-Hill in Lancashire. He published several works, including "The Wonderfull Yeare 1644," which documented the events of the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was James Dearden (1839-1897), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the town of Bolton, Lancashire. He founded the Dearden Endowment, which provided educational opportunities for underprivileged children in the area.

The DEARDEN surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Dearden Bridge, Dearden Clough, and Dearden Fold, all located in the Lancashire region. These place names further reinforce the locational origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dearden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dearden 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. Lancashire leads with 2,075 Deardens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.10x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,075 6.10x
Yorkshire 586 2.06x
Cheshire 112 1.77x
Middlesex 26 0.09x
Surrey 18 0.13x
Worcestershire 15 0.40x
Renfrewshire 11 0.50x
Sussex 11 0.23x
Bedfordshire 9 0.61x
Derbyshire 9 0.20x
Isle of Man 8 1.50x
Monmouthshire 8 0.39x
Roxburghshire 8 1.54x
Staffordshire 8 0.08x
Leicestershire 6 0.19x
Northumberland 6 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.26x
Essex 3 0.05x
Warwickshire 3 0.04x
Durham 2 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.30x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 145 Deardens recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.36x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 145 38.36x
Wuerdle Wardle 118 114.34x
Oldham 87 7.93x
Manchester 79 5.17x
Bury 66 17.00x
Tottington Lower End 62 38.38x
Blatchinworth 60 77.51x
Newchurch 53 19.06x
Elton 52 44.27x
Heap 52 28.84x
Great Bolton 47 10.44x
Castleton 45 13.25x
Bradfield 43 39.29x
Wardleworth 43 22.13x
Ashton Under Lyne 41 5.52x
Nether Hallam 40 10.41x
Haydock 39 66.58x
Little Bolton 39 8.92x
Burnley 36 12.57x
Great Little Marsden 36 23.12x
Farnworth 35 17.18x
Stansfield 35 33.50x
Ecclesfield 34 16.33x
Blackburn 33 3.65x
Over Darwen 33 12.15x
Preston 28 3.08x
Chorlton On Medlock 27 5.00x
Heptonstall 27 67.77x
Halliwell 26 21.01x
Newton 26 9.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 25 4.33x
Haslingden 25 17.76x
Salford 25 2.50x
Radcliffe 24 14.64x
Windle 24 12.55x
Kearsley 22 30.76x
Sheffield 22 2.43x
Dukinfield 21 7.19x
Habergham Eaves 21 6.76x
Macclesfield 21 7.47x
Billinge Chapel End 20 104.88x
Butterworth 20 24.15x
Everton 20 1.85x
Soyland 20 58.72x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 19 52.30x
Halifax 19 4.56x
Hopwood 19 42.74x
Hulme 19 2.68x
Tottington Higher End 19 49.10x
Droylsden 17 15.33x
North Meols 17 5.11x
Accrington 16 5.18x
Broughton In Salford 16 5.15x
Crompton 16 16.53x
Dewsbury 16 5.50x
Eccleston In Prescot 16 9.37x
Elland Cum Greetland 16 12.51x
Thornham 16 87.00x
Holy Trinity 15 2.20x
Leeds 15 0.94x
Parr 15 12.33x
Blackley 14 23.49x
Huddersfield 14 3.38x
Newton In Makerfield 14 13.45x
Dudley 13 2.86x
Keighley 13 4.30x
Livesey 13 21.79x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 13 13.28x
Pendleton In Salford 12 2.96x
Skircoat 12 10.72x
Atherton 11 8.89x
Islington London 11 0.40x
Middleton In Oldham 11 10.79x
Neilston 11 9.87x
Stretford 11 5.88x
Todmorden Walsden 11 12.08x
Brightside Bierlow 10 1.80x
Lancaster 10 4.94x
Sharples 10 27.12x
Wilsden 10 34.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 270
Sarah 142
Elizabeth 100
Ann 86
Alice 75
Jane 59
Ellen 58
Hannah 58
Emma 49
Martha 43
Annie 41
Margaret 38
Betty 29
Emily 22
Clara 20
Betsy 19
Eliza 19
Maria 18
Fanny 15
Ada 14
Susannah 13
Agnes 12
Harriet 12
Louisa 12
Lucy 11
Nancy 11
Rachel 11
Catherine 10
Florence 10
Bertha 9
Elizth. 9
Frances 9
Anne 8
Ruth 8
Amelia 7
Grace 7
Edith 6
Matilda 6
Susan 6
Caroline 5
Harriett 5
Kate 5
Sophia 5
Amy 4
Betsey 4
Eleanor 4
Ethel 4
Henrietta 4
Isabella 4
Charlotte 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 214
James 184
William 112
Thomas 79
George 64
Joseph 60
Robert 44
Charles 38
Henry 38
Samuel 32
Richard 30
Albert 20
Arthur 20
Alfred 18
Fred 18
Walter 16
David 13
Edward 13
Herbert 13
Benjamin 10
Frank 10
Frederick 10
Harry 10
Edmund 9
Thos. 9
Abraham 8
Ernest 8
Peter 8
Ralph 8
Jonathan 7
Simeon 7
Wm. 7
Isaac 6
Edwin 5
Jeremiah 5
Sam 5
Simon 5
Tom 5
Abel 4
Daniel 4
Jas. 4
Jno. 4
Alexander 3
Geo. 3
Lewis 3
Percy 3
Stephen 3
Wellington 3
Caleb 2
Chas. 2

FAQ

Dearden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dearden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,934 people were recorded with the Dearden surname. That placed it at #1,523 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dearden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,414 in 2016. That gives Dearden a modern rank of #2,729.

What does the Dearden surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place called Dearden in Lancashire, England.

What does the Dearden map show?

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