NameCensus.

UK surname

Dekker

A Dutch occupational surname referring to someone who covers roofs with tiles or thatch, or a roofer.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Dekker surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 172, ranked #21,648, up from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Albans, Barnet and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dekker is 183 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2050.0%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

172

2016, ranked #21,648

Peak year

2014

183 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dekker had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016, ranked #21,648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Dekker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dekker surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dekker 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 2 #34,436
1901 historical 5 #33,728
1911 historical 10 #32,609
1997 modern 149 #21,214
1998 modern 151 #21,578
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 168 #20,368
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 162 #22,101
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 178 #21,108
2014 modern 183 #20,880
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 172 #21,648

Geography

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Where Dekkers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Albans, Barnet, Mid Suffolk, Bradford and Chichester. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Albans 001 St Albans
2 Barnet 012 Barnet
3 Mid Suffolk 006 Mid Suffolk
4 Bradford 010 Bradford
5 Chichester 004 Chichester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dekker

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dekker

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Dekker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Dekker 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Dekker 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

Dekker 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

Dekker falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dekker 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Dekker

The surname Dekker has its origins in the Netherlands and is derived from the Dutch word 'dekker', which means 'thatcher' or 'roofer'. This occupational surname likely originated in the medieval period, as it referred to individuals whose trade involved thatching roofs with reeds or other materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dekker can be found in Dutch municipal records from the 15th century. For example, a 'Jan Jacobsz Dekker' was mentioned in a document from the city of Leiden in 1482. The name was also present in various other Dutch regions, such as Friesland and Gelderland, during this time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Dekker appeared in various Dutch historical records, including church registers and guild documents. Variations in spelling were common, with forms like 'Decker', 'Deker', and 'Deckere' also being used.

One notable individual with the surname Dekker was Jeremias de Dekker, a Dutch Golden Age painter born in 1610 in Amsterdam. He was known for his genre scenes and portraits, and his works can be found in museums across Europe.

Another prominent Dekker was Eduard Douwes Dekker, better known by his pen name Multatuli, a Dutch writer and critic born in 1820 in Amsterdam. He is best remembered for his influential novel 'Max Havelaar', which exposed the harsh treatment of indigenous Javanese people under Dutch colonial rule.

In the 19th century, the name Dekker was also found in the United States, likely due to Dutch immigration. One example is Gerrit Dekker, a Dutch-American politician born in 1835 in the Netherlands, who later served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Another notable American with the surname Dekker was Thomas Dekker, an actor born in 1987 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is best known for his roles in television series such as 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' and 'Heroes'.

The surname Dekker also has a presence in other parts of the world, including South Africa and Australia, where Dutch settlers and immigrants have established communities over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dekker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dekker 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 6 Dekkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6 7.69x
Durham 2 8.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 3 Dekkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.12x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 3 69.12x
Spitalfields London 3 508.47x
Bishopwearmouth 1 50.25x
South Shields 1 476.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Adelaide 1
Elizabeth 1
Mary 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Peter 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 Dekker households.

FAQ

Dekker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dekker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Dekker surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dekker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016. That gives Dekker a modern rank of #21,648.

What does the Dekker surname mean?

A Dutch occupational surname referring to someone who covers roofs with tiles or thatch, or a roofer.

What does the Dekker map show?

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