NameCensus.

UK surname

Degg

An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with a prominent, sturdy physique.

In the 1881 census there were 255 people recorded with the Degg surname, ranking it #10,924 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 678, ranked #7,909, up from #10,924 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trentham, Burton-on-Trent and Alrewas, Alrewas Hayes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Degg is 717 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 165.9%.

1881 census count

255

Ranked #10,924

Modern count

678

2016, ranked #7,909

Peak year

2002

717 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Degg had 255 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,924 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 678 in 2016, ranked #7,909.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 506 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Degg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Degg surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Degg 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 239 #10,273
1881 historical 255 #10,924
1891 historical 340 #10,062
1901 historical 376 #9,899
1911 historical 506 #7,772
1997 modern 392 #11,178
1998 modern 708 #7,408
1999 modern 707 #7,457
2000 modern 702 #7,473
2001 modern 689 #7,461
2002 modern 717 #7,369
2003 modern 695 #7,421
2004 modern 703 #7,367
2005 modern 675 #7,556
2006 modern 682 #7,525
2007 modern 673 #7,675
2008 modern 666 #7,769
2009 modern 683 #7,791
2010 modern 703 #7,753
2011 modern 688 #7,791
2012 modern 677 #7,818
2013 modern 690 #7,817
2014 modern 694 #7,826
2015 modern 695 #7,756
2016 modern 678 #7,909

Geography

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Where Deggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trentham, Burton-on-Trent, Alrewas, Alrewas Hayes, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Cannock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Trentham Staffordshire
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 Alrewas, Alrewas Hayes Staffordshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Cannock Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 027 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Stoke-on-Trent 032 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 022 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Stoke-on-Trent 025 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Degg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Degg

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Degg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Degg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Degg is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Degg is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Degg 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 Degg is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Degg

The surname DEGG is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "deag," which means "dye" or "color." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a person who worked as a dyer or dealt with colored materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a certain John Degg is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a William Degg as a taxpayer.

During the Middle Ages, the DEGG surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset in the West Midlands region of England. It is possible that the name originated from a place name or a locality within these areas, as many surnames derived from the names of towns, villages, or geographical features.

Notable individuals bearing the DEGG surname include Robert Degg (1576-1638), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Book of Common Prayer. Another prominent figure was Sir Samuel Degg (1619-1687), a lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Charles II.

In the 18th century, John Degg (1732-1811) was a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, known for his extensive property holdings and philanthropic endeavors. A century later, William Degg (1838-1916) made a name for himself as a prolific inventor, holding numerous patents for various mechanical devices.

One of the most famous individuals with the DEGG surname was Sir Wilfred Degg (1901-1978), a highly decorated British Army officer who served in both World Wars and received the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the United Kingdom.

Throughout its history, the DEGG surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Degg, Degge, Dege, and Deage, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects of the time. Despite its relatively uncommon occurrence, the name has left a lasting legacy, particularly in the West Midlands region of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Degg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Degg 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. Staffordshire leads with 232 Deggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.52x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 232 27.52x
Warwickshire 16 2.54x
Derbyshire 4 1.02x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.36x
Middlesex 1 0.04x
Surrey 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 79 Deggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.38x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 79 88.38x
Stone 39 361.78x
Trentham 36 502.09x
Uttoxeter 17 393.52x
Aston 10 5.77x
Rugeley 10 165.29x
Alrewas 9 1097.56x
Cannock 9 61.18x
Burton Upon Trent 7 35.50x
Wolverhampton 7 10.80x
Harborne 6 22.21x
Over Whitacre 4 1600.00x
Walsall Foreign 4 9.19x
Burntwood Edial 2 37.17x
Burton Extra 2 41.41x
Dilhorne 2 142.86x
Mappleton 2 1176.47x
Sutton Coldfield 2 30.21x
Biddulph 1 21.01x
Derby St Werburgh 1 4.43x
Leicester St Mary 1 4.47x
Litchurch 1 6.36x
Moss Side 1 6.41x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.27x
Tipton 1 3.87x
West Bromwich 1 2.07x
Woodmansterne 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 14
Elizabeth 11
Hannah 11
Harriet 9
Emily 8
Emma 6
Annie 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Fanny 4
Edith 3
Jane 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Charlotte 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Alice 1
Anna 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Dinah 1
Dorothy 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanney 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
John 1
Kitty 1
Liddany 1
Lidia 1
Livina 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Minnie 1
Obedience 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
Thomas 13
James 10
Samuel 9
Charles 8
George 7
John 7
Joseph 7
Henry 5
Edward 4
Edwin 4
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Lewis 2
Richard 2
Zachiriah 2
David 1
Edd. 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Peter 1
Reuben 1
Saml. 1

FAQ

Degg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Degg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 255 people were recorded with the Degg surname. That placed it at #10,924 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Degg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 678 in 2016. That gives Degg a modern rank of #7,909.

What does the Degg surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with a prominent, sturdy physique.

What does the Degg map show?

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