NameCensus.

UK surname

Death

A transferred use of the word death, perhaps denoting one with a grim or somber demeanor.

In the 1881 census there were 1,497 people recorded with the Death surname, ranking it #2,799 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,444, ranked #4,252, down from #2,799 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Brightlingsea and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Fylde and Rossendale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Death is 1,877 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.5%.

1881 census count

1,497

Ranked #2,799

Modern count

1,444

2016, ranked #4,252

Peak year

1911

1,877 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Death had 1,497 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,799 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,444 in 2016, ranked #4,252.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,877 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Death surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Death surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Death 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 1,023 #2,733
1861 historical 912 #3,040
1881 historical 1,497 #2,799
1891 historical 1,570 #2,828
1901 historical 1,799 #2,909
1911 historical 1,877 #2,635
1997 modern 1,568 #3,761
1998 modern 1,656 #3,718
1999 modern 1,617 #3,833
2000 modern 1,599 #3,862
2001 modern 1,568 #3,852
2002 modern 1,580 #3,898
2003 modern 1,514 #3,969
2004 modern 1,538 #3,908
2005 modern 1,506 #3,944
2006 modern 1,486 #3,989
2007 modern 1,507 #3,986
2008 modern 1,497 #4,039
2009 modern 1,536 #4,029
2010 modern 1,549 #4,081
2011 modern 1,519 #4,114
2012 modern 1,506 #4,073
2013 modern 1,506 #4,141
2014 modern 1,496 #4,185
2015 modern 1,467 #4,216
2016 modern 1,444 #4,252

Geography

Back to top

Where Deaths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Brightlingsea, Ipswich St Mary Stoke and Edwardstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Fylde, Rossendale, Norwich and Babergh. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Brightlingsea Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk
5 Edwardstone Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
2 Fylde 006 Fylde
3 Rossendale 003 Rossendale
4 Norwich 002 Norwich
5 Babergh 002 Babergh

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Death

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Death

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Death is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Death is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Death falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Death

The surname "Death" is derived from the Middle English word "deeth", which means "death" or "dying". This name is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, sometime around the 13th or 14th century.

The name "Death" is thought to have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in professions related to death, such as undertakers, gravediggers, or even executioners. It may also have been a descriptive surname, referring to someone who had a pale or sickly appearance, or who had survived a near-death experience.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Death" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from 1327, where a person named John Death is mentioned. Another early example is from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, England, in 1379, which lists a Robert Death.

In the 15th century, the surname "Death" appeared in various forms, such as "Deth", "Dethe", and "Dethe". These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time period.

One notable person with the surname "Death" was Sir John Death, a member of the English gentry who lived in the early 16th century. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, and served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in 1553.

Another well-known individual with this surname was Thomas Death, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1612 to 1689. He was a prominent Puritan divine and wrote several religious works, including "The Mortification of Sin" and "The Deathbed of a Christian".

In the 18th century, a man named William Death gained recognition as a successful merchant and landowner in Middlesex, England. He was born in 1705 and died in 1783.

During the 19th century, a family of artists with the surname "Death" became notable in Germany. The most famous among them was Walter Death, a landscape painter born in 1841 in Hanover. His works were widely exhibited and appreciated during his lifetime.

Finally, in the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname "Death" was Robert Death, a British military officer and Victoria Cross recipient. He was born in 1899 and served in World War I, where he earned the highest military honor for his bravery and courage in battle.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Death families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Death 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 7 Deaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.08x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 7 132.08x
Hertfordshire 2 33.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buckingham in Buckinghamshire leads with 7 Deaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 6363.64x.

Place Total Index
Buckingham 7 6363.64x
Bishop Stortford 1 500.00x
Sawbridgeworth 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anne 1
Christiana 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Harry 1
Jones 1
Robert 1
Sampson 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Death households.

FAQ

Death surname: questions and answers

How common was the Death surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,497 people were recorded with the Death surname. That placed it at #2,799 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Death surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,444 in 2016. That gives Death a modern rank of #4,252.

What does the Death surname mean?

A transferred use of the word death, perhaps denoting one with a grim or somber demeanor.

What does the Death map show?

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