NameCensus.

UK surname

Deason

An English occupational surname for a maker or user of dyes or for someone who dyed fabric.

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Deason surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dalton-in-Furness, Cartmell and St Martin, St Mary, Trescoe, Bryher, Sampson, St Agnes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastbourne, Central Bedfordshire and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deason is 402 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 51.0%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

1861

402 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Deason had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 402 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Deason surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deason surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deason 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 402 #6,383
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 394 #8,982
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 238 #13,356
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 94 #29,264
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 94 #31,016
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Deasons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dalton-in-Furness, Cartmell, St Martin, St Mary, Trescoe, Bryher, Sampson, St Agnes, Ulverstone and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eastbourne, Central Bedfordshire, Barnet, Chiltern and Cornwall. 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 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
2 Cartmell Lancashire
3 St Martin, St Mary, Trescoe, Bryher, Sampson, St Agnes Cornwall
4 Ulverstone Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastbourne 004 Eastbourne
2 Central Bedfordshire 007 Central Bedfordshire
3 Barnet 027 Barnet
4 Chiltern 002 Chiltern
5 Cornwall 053 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deason

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deason

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Deason is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Deason is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Deason

The surname DEASON is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "dea" meaning a valley or hollow, and "sunu" meaning son. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, possibly as early as the 8th or 9th century.

The name was initially associated with people who lived in or near a valley or hollow area. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Deassune" in reference to a landholder in Derbyshire.

During the Middle Ages, the name DEASON was primarily concentrated in the counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire in the English Midlands. Variations in spelling were common, including Deasone, Deassune, and Deasun.

Notable individuals with the surname DEASON throughout history include William Deason (c. 1490-1558), a prominent merchant and landowner in Stratford-upon-Avon, who is mentioned in several records from the Tudor period. Another early bearer of the name was John Deason (c. 1550-1620), a farmer and landowner in Warwickshire whose family can be traced back to the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, the name DEASON appears in parish records from the village of Nailstone in Leicestershire, where a family of that name lived for several generations. One member of this family, Thomas Deason (1687-1758), was a renowned clockmaker whose work is still prized by collectors today.

During the Industrial Revolution, many DEASON families migrated from rural areas to cities like Birmingham and Manchester in search of employment. One notable figure from this period was George Deason (1822-1901), a successful industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Deason Ironworks in Birmingham.

As the name spread across England and beyond, it underwent various spelling changes, with Deeson, Deesom, and Deasun becoming common variants. Instances of the name can also be found in historical records from other parts of the British Isles, as well as in North America and Australia, where it was carried by emigrants from England in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deason families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deason 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 74 Deasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.30x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 74 3.30x
Middlesex 55 2.91x
Cornwall 23 10.74x
Sussex 12 3.76x
Westmorland 8 19.24x
Essex 6 1.61x
Selkirkshire 6 35.05x
Surrey 3 0.33x
Durham 1 0.18x
Fife 1 0.89x
Gloucestershire 1 0.27x
Hampshire 1 0.26x
Kent 1 0.15x
Morayshire 1 3.40x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalton In Furness in Lancashire leads with 20 Deasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 230.68x.

Place Total Index
Dalton In Furness 20 230.68x
Scilly Islands St Mary 15 1785.71x
Upper Holker 12 2264.15x
Limehouse London 10 48.15x
Ulverston 9 137.61x
Applethwaite 8 645.16x
Hambleton 8 3200.00x
Bethnal Green London 6 7.30x
Galashiels 6 94.79x
Hastings St Andrew 6 526.32x
Kirkby Ireleth 6 535.71x
Poplar London 6 16.80x
Urswick 6 722.89x
West Firle 6 1621.62x
Mile End Old Town London 5 12.42x
Toxteth Park 5 6.58x
Hackney London 4 3.77x
Scilly Islands 4 1052.63x
Tottenham 4 13.27x
Bow London 3 12.45x
Chelsea London 3 5.26x
St George Bloomsbury 3 27.62x
Barrow In Furness 2 6.55x
Bromley London 2 4.80x
Carnforth 2 162.60x
Madron Penzance 2 25.67x
Scilly Islands St Agnes 2 2000.00x
Shoreditch London 2 2.44x
St Pancras London 2 1.31x
Walthamstow 2 14.88x
West Ham 2 2.43x
Beddington 1 28.01x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.07x
Bradford 1 2.20x
Clifton 1 5.33x
East Ham 1 14.43x
Edinkillie 1 129.87x
Edmonton 1 6.56x
Everton 1 1.40x
Hampstead London 1 3.39x
Lambeth 1 0.61x
Lancaster 1 7.49x
Preston 1 1.66x
Ramsgate 1 9.49x
Shanklin 1 86.21x
Silverdale 1 312.50x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 37.31x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.00x
St Marylebone London 1 0.99x
Wandsworth 1 5.49x
Wanstead 1 15.29x
Wemyss 1 21.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 8
Thomas 8
William 7
John 6
Henry 5
Joseph 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Edward 4
Frederick 3
Abraham 2
Frank 2
George 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Abram 1
Albert 1
Aquilla 1
E. 1
Edwin 1
Eldred 1
Ernest 1
F.W. 1
Frances 1
Geo. 1
Hamsel 1
Harry 1
Jacob 1
Jonathan 1
Matthew 1
Samuel 1
Silvanus 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Deason surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deason surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Deason surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deason surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Deason a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Deason surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a maker or user of dyes or for someone who dyed fabric.

What does the Deason map show?

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