NameCensus.

UK surname

Denn

German surname meaning "that one" or "the one."

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Denn surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, Rochester and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Bexley and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Denn is 240 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.9%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1861

240 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Denn had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 240 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Denn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Denn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Denn 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 140 #13,593
1861 historical 240 #10,226
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 146 #18,335
1911 historical 160 #17,151
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 147 #21,935
1999 modern 136 #23,186
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 143 #22,133
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 137 #23,110
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 129 #24,503
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Denns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, Rochester, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Bexley and Sefton. 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 Minster Kent
2 Rochester Kent
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 021 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Bexley 023 Bexley
3 Kensington and Chelsea 005 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Sefton 033 Sefton
5 Sefton 038 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Denn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Denn

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

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Denn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Denn 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 younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Denn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Denn 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

Denn falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Denn 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Denn

The surname DENN originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "denne," which means a thin or slender person. This descriptor may have been used as a nickname or distinguishing characteristic for the earliest bearers of the name.

DENN was initially concentrated in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria, where it appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest documented mentions of the surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a compilation of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the year 1278.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the DENN surname began to spread across other parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Swabia and Franconia. This dispersion is evident in the appearance of the name in local parish records and tax rolls from that era.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named Hans DENN (1490-1547) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Nuremberg. His success and influence likely contributed to the further establishment of the DENN surname within the region.

Another significant figure bearing the DENN name was Christoph DENN (1588-1653), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. His scholarly works on theology and philosophy were widely read and respected during his lifetime.

The DENN surname also found its way into the realm of literature, with the 17th-century German poet and dramatist Johann Christoph DENN (1625-1689) being one of its notable bearers. His contributions to the development of German theater and poetry were highly regarded by his contemporaries.

In the 18th century, the DENN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Gottlieb DENN (1759-1837), a renowned German geographer and cartographer. His detailed maps and atlases were instrumental in advancing the field of geography during that era.

Another noteworthy individual was the 19th-century German philosopher and writer Friedrich DENN (1811-1884), whose works explored the intersection of philosophy, ethics, and religion. His ideas and writings had a significant influence on intellectual discourse of his time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Denn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Denn 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. Kent leads with 40 Denns recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.92x.

County Total Index
Kent 40 12.92x
Lancashire 20 1.86x
Cheshire 9 4.49x
Middlesex 9 0.99x
Northumberland 4 2.96x
Essex 3 1.68x
Durham 2 0.74x
Lincolnshire 2 1.38x
Monmouthshire 2 3.05x
Hampshire 1 0.54x
Surrey 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 13 Denns recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.89x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 13 19.89x
Minster In Sheppey 10 194.93x
Lewisham 8 48.48x
Rochester St Nicholas 8 833.33x
Shoreditch London 6 15.26x
Stockport 5 48.54x
Chatham 4 47.00x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 4 173.91x
Wigan 4 26.60x
Gillingham 3 47.02x
West Ham 3 7.59x
Everton 2 5.83x
Hartlepool 2 52.08x
Islington London 2 2.27x
Ramsgate 2 39.60x
Shoreham 2 454.55x
St Woollos 2 27.32x
Tweedmouth 2 119.05x
Westgate 2 23.92x
Blackburn 1 3.49x
Bucknall 1 1000.00x
Hampstead London 1 7.08x
Holy Rood 1 263.16x
Lambeth 1 1.26x
Maidstone 1 10.85x
Ospringe 1 263.16x
South Ferriby 1 434.78x
Whitstable 1 65.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
James 5
Richard 4
Edward 3
George 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Lawrence 2
Michael 2
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Joe 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Mathias 1
Patrick 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Denn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Denn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Denn surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Denn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Denn a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Denn surname mean?

German surname meaning "that one" or "the one."

What does the Denn map show?

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