NameCensus.

UK surname

Deboo

An occupational Dutch surname referring to a woodcutter or forester.

In the 1881 census there were 69 people recorded with the Deboo surname, ranking it #23,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, up from #23,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gwynedd, Brent and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deboo is 219 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 185.5%.

1881 census count

69

Ranked #23,816

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

2002

219 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deboo had 69 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Deboo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deboo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deboo 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 69 #23,816
1891 historical 117 #21,658
1901 historical 157 #17,577
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 208 #17,219
1998 modern 214 #17,366
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 210 #17,559
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 208 #17,687
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 200 #18,485
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 216 #18,120
2010 modern 216 #18,492
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 200 #19,524
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 199 #19,640
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Deboos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, St Leonard Bromley, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Eye. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gwynedd, Brent, Peterborough, South Bucks 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 London parishes London 1
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 Eye Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gwynedd 004 Gwynedd
2 Brent 026 Brent
3 Peterborough 008 Peterborough
4 South Bucks 008 South Bucks
5 Cornwall 027 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deboo

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deboo

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Deboo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Deboo household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Deboo is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

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

Deboo 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

Deboo 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 Deboo is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Deboo, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Deboo

The surname DEBOO is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "de" meaning "the" and "boo" meaning "tree" or "bush". This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent tree or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEBOO surname can be found in the Dutch baptismal records of the village of Haarlem from the year 1592, where a child named Jan Deboo was baptized. This provides evidence that the name was in use by the late 16th century in the Netherlands.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the DEBOO surname was Hans Deboo, a merchant and shipowner from Amsterdam who was born in 1625 and died in 1698. His business dealings and travels helped to spread the name to other parts of Europe and the Americas.

Another early record of the DEBOO name comes from the English county of Norfolk, where a family by the name of Deboo is mentioned in the parish records of the village of Wymondham in 1674. This suggests that the name had already spread to England by the late 17th century, likely through trade or migration from the Netherlands.

In the 18th century, a prominent individual with the DEBOO surname was Pieter Deboo, a Dutch philosopher and writer who was born in 1712 and died in 1781. He wrote several treatises on ethics and morality, and his works were widely read and discussed in intellectual circles of the time.

A notable figure from the 19th century was Willem Deboo, a Dutch-born artist who lived from 1822 to 1891. He was known for his landscape paintings and was a member of the renowned Hague School of painters in the Netherlands.

The DEBOO surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, there is a town called Deboo in the Dutch province of Friesland, which may have been named after an early settler with the DEBOO surname. Additionally, the name "Debooville" was given to a small settlement in the United States during the 19th century, likely named after a DEBOO family who resided there.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deboo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deboo 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. Middlesex leads with 21 Deboos recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.53x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 21 3.53x
Northamptonshire 16 28.60x
Yorkshire 7 1.19x
Lancashire 6 0.85x
Leicestershire 3 4.55x
Lincolnshire 3 3.15x
Surrey 3 1.04x
Cambridgeshire 2 5.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eye in Northamptonshire leads with 12 Deboos recorded in 1881 and an index of 4444.44x.

Place Total Index
Eye 12 4444.44x
Bromley London 11 84.03x
Islington London 10 17.35x
Cleckheaton 5 230.41x
West Derby 5 24.21x
Nassington 4 2666.67x
Leicester St Martin 3 681.82x
Bradford 2 14.02x
Croydon 2 12.43x
Gedney 2 512.82x
Crumpsall 1 60.24x
Fishtoft 1 526.32x
March 1 79.37x
Penge 1 26.32x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 75.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Frances 2
Mary 2
Susannah 2
Ann 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Lizzie 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

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 Deboo households.

FAQ

Deboo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deboo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 69 people were recorded with the Deboo surname. That placed it at #23,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deboo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Deboo a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Deboo surname mean?

An occupational Dutch surname referring to a woodcutter or forester.

What does the Deboo map show?

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