NameCensus.

UK surname

Dell

An English locational surname denoting someone who lived near a small valley or dell.

In the 1881 census there were 1,760 people recorded with the Dell surname, ranking it #2,458 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,451, ranked #2,688, down from #2,458 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigginton and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wycombe, Dacorum and Wyre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dell is 2,579 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.3%.

1881 census count

1,760

Ranked #2,458

Modern count

2,451

2016, ranked #2,688

Peak year

2010

2,579 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dell had 1,760 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,458 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,451 in 2016, ranked #2,688.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,506 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dell 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 1,198 #2,374
1861 historical 1,241 #2,301
1881 historical 1,760 #2,458
1891 historical 2,026 #2,279
1901 historical 2,284 #2,379
1911 historical 2,506 #2,050
1997 modern 2,497 #2,517
1998 modern 2,543 #2,569
1999 modern 2,541 #2,593
2000 modern 2,517 #2,602
2001 modern 2,423 #2,633
2002 modern 2,515 #2,604
2003 modern 2,460 #2,602
2004 modern 2,444 #2,619
2005 modern 2,404 #2,630
2006 modern 2,385 #2,645
2007 modern 2,406 #2,651
2008 modern 2,409 #2,660
2009 modern 2,495 #2,646
2010 modern 2,579 #2,631
2011 modern 2,520 #2,657
2012 modern 2,396 #2,714
2013 modern 2,489 #2,674
2014 modern 2,504 #2,677
2015 modern 2,471 #2,686
2016 modern 2,451 #2,688

Geography

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Where Dells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigginton, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wycombe, Dacorum, Wyre and Sheffield. 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 Wigginton Hertfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wycombe 002 Wycombe
2 Dacorum 012 Dacorum
3 Dacorum 014 Dacorum
4 Wyre 001 Wyre
5 Sheffield 039 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dell, 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 Dell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Dell is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dell falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dell

The surname Dell originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'dell', meaning a small valley or hollow. The surname was likely first adopted by someone who lived near or in a dell.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where a person named Radulfus del is mentioned. The spelling 'del' is an early form of the modern 'dell'.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with the word 'dell' in their names, such as Dellecumb in Somerset and Delleburn in Sussex. These place names may have influenced the adoption of the surname Dell in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Dell include John Dell (1627-1686), an English Puritan divine and author who wrote several theological works. Another prominent figure was Thomas Dell (1509-1594), an English goldsmith and Member of Parliament for the City of London.

William Dell (1607-1669) was an English Anglican clergyman and writer who supported the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War. He was a prominent member of the group known as the 'Dissenting Brethren' and authored several influential works on church government.

In the 18th century, William Dell (1755-1828) was an English clergyman and mathematician who served as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge from 1804 to 1828.

The surname Dell has also been associated with the Dell family, who established the successful computer company Dell Inc. in 1984. The company's founder, Michael Dell (born 1965), is a prominent figure in the technology industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dell 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 437 Dells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 437 2.55x
Surrey 274 3.28x
Hertfordshire 262 22.19x
Buckinghamshire 130 12.55x
Berkshire 94 7.31x
Kent 92 1.57x
Lancashire 57 0.28x
Essex 40 1.18x
Staffordshire 38 0.66x
Bedfordshire 37 4.17x
Somerset 37 1.34x
Sussex 36 1.25x
Warwickshire 29 0.67x
Yorkshire 29 0.17x
Devon 27 0.76x
Oxfordshire 22 2.08x
Gloucestershire 17 0.51x
Derbyshire 16 0.60x
Wiltshire 15 0.99x
Cornwall 11 0.57x
Dorset 11 0.98x
Lincolnshire 9 0.33x
Hampshire 7 0.20x
Durham 5 0.10x
Royal Navy 5 2.45x
Northamptonshire 4 0.25x
Glamorgan 3 0.10x
Cheshire 2 0.05x
Leicestershire 2 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.09x
East Lothian 1 0.44x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Morayshire 1 0.38x
Rutland 1 0.80x
Worcestershire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigginton in Hertfordshire leads with 50 Dells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1201.92x.

Place Total Index
Wigginton 50 1201.92x
Hemel Hempstead 44 82.71x
Lambeth 43 2.88x
St Pancras London 41 2.97x
Croydon 40 8.63x
Islington London 39 2.35x
Chesham 31 81.22x
Aldbury 28 523.36x
Reading St Giles 27 21.40x
West Ham 27 3.62x
West Bromwich 26 7.85x
Bethnal Green London 25 3.36x
Brighton 24 4.12x
Clerkenwell London 23 5.69x
St Marylebone London 23 2.51x
Bermondsey 22 4.31x
Bovingdon 22 355.41x
Hackney London 21 2.19x
Newbury 21 50.98x
Kensington London 20 2.10x
Reading St Lawrence 20 72.70x
Camberwell 19 1.74x
Northchurch 17 134.81x
Woolwich 17 7.87x
Battersea 16 2.54x
Berkhampstead 16 60.29x
Derby St Alkmund 16 19.91x
Padbury 16 514.47x
Stoke Damerel 16 6.41x
Bledlow 15 239.23x
Kingston On Thames 15 7.48x
Lewisham 15 4.81x
Paddington London 15 2.38x
Pinner 15 100.00x
St Luke London 15 5.46x
Watford 15 16.39x
St Albans St Michael 14 106.14x
Harrow On The Hill 13 37.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 3.77x
Southwark St Saviour 13 14.77x
Clapham 12 5.60x
Hillingdon 12 21.97x
Mitcham 12 22.75x
Hammersmith London 11 2.61x
Princes Risborough 11 79.31x
Shoreditch London 11 1.48x
Stratton 11 104.56x
Caddington 10 76.98x
Greenwich 10 3.67x
Luton 10 6.51x
Streatham 10 7.87x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 10 45.02x
Brenenden 9 119.68x
Bridgewater 9 12.02x
Deptford St Paul 9 2.00x
Newington 9 1.42x
Studham 9 184.43x
Westbury On Trym 9 7.91x
Birmingham 8 0.56x
Chalfont St Giles 8 107.82x
Chelsea London 8 1.55x
Ealing 8 5.23x
Edgbaston 8 5.97x
Halifax 8 3.21x
Marlborough St Peter St 8 102.70x
Penge 8 7.31x
Ridge 8 336.13x
St Giles In Fields London 8 9.52x
Thorpe 8 218.58x
Tyneham 8 496.89x
Woking 8 15.90x
Bromley London 7 1.86x
Burton Upon Trent 7 5.17x
Edmonton 7 5.07x
Harlington 7 77.52x
Harmondsworth 7 65.79x
Hulme 7 1.65x
Speen 7 33.27x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.32x
Totteridge 7 189.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 124
John 93
George 64
James 62
Thomas 46
Henry 38
Joseph 38
Charles 32
Alfred 27
Frederick 26
Arthur 17
Edward 14
Richard 14
Walter 13
David 11
Robert 11
Samuel 11
Harry 9
Edwin 8
Albert 7
Daniel 7
Ernest 7
Francis 7
Herbert 7
Wm. 6
Frank 5
Isaac 5
Chas. 4
Fred 4
Fredrick 3
Jesse 3
Levi 3
Mark 3
Reuben 3
Uriah 3
Christopher 2
Fredk. 2
Harold 2
Holland 2
Jabez 2
Leonard 2
Matthew 2
Moses 2
Percy 2
Philip 2
Reginald 2
Briant 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Wm.Stanley 1

FAQ

Dell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,760 people were recorded with the Dell surname. That placed it at #2,458 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,451 in 2016. That gives Dell a modern rank of #2,688.

What does the Dell surname mean?

An English locational surname denoting someone who lived near a small valley or dell.

What does the Dell map show?

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