NameCensus.

UK surname

Dennett

From the Old French place name "D'Anet," referring to someone from Anet, France.

In the 1881 census there were 1,295 people recorded with the Dennett surname, ranking it #3,164 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,155, ranked #3,000, up from #3,164 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, IZ17 and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dennett is 2,369 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.4%.

1881 census count

1,295

Ranked #3,164

Modern count

2,155

2016, ranked #3,000

Peak year

1999

2,369 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dennett had 1,295 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,164 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,155 in 2016, ranked #3,000.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,218 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dennett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dennett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dennett 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 683 #3,804
1861 historical 687 #3,920
1881 historical 1,295 #3,164
1891 historical 1,538 #2,868
1901 historical 1,989 #2,671
1911 historical 2,218 #2,272
1997 modern 2,320 #2,679
1998 modern 2,362 #2,743
1999 modern 2,369 #2,759
2000 modern 2,359 #2,748
2001 modern 2,282 #2,772
2002 modern 2,344 #2,771
2003 modern 2,294 #2,759
2004 modern 2,276 #2,771
2005 modern 2,209 #2,824
2006 modern 2,190 #2,853
2007 modern 2,219 #2,841
2008 modern 2,228 #2,853
2009 modern 2,288 #2,849
2010 modern 2,297 #2,901
2011 modern 2,245 #2,927
2012 modern 2,171 #2,948
2013 modern 2,195 #2,973
2014 modern 2,217 #2,959
2015 modern 2,169 #2,992
2016 modern 2,155 #3,000

Geography

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Where Dennetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Bradford and Warrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, IZ17, West Dorset and Mansfield. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 006 Halton
2 Halton 007 Halton
3 IZ17 West Dunbartonshire
4 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
5 Mansfield 001 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dennett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dennett

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dennett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dennett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dennett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Dennett is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dennett 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 Dennett 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 Dennett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dennett

The surname Dennett originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Denet" or "Daned," which was a diminutive form of the name "Daniel." The name may have also been influenced by the French surname "Denet" or "Denant."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dennett can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, where it appears as "Denet." The name was also mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292, where it was spelled "Denet."

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Dennet," "Dennett," and "Denette." This variation in spelling was common during that period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Dennett surname has been associated with several place names in England, such as Dennet in Cornwall and Dennett's Isle in Norfolk. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One notable individual with the surname Dennett was Sir John Dennett (c. 1615-1685), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Andover from 1660 to 1679. Another prominent figure was Daniel Dennett (born 1942), an American philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist known for his work on the philosophy of mind and evolutionary theory.

Other notable individuals with the Dennett surname include:

1. John Dennett (1790-1866), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire. 2. Mary Andrews Dennett (1872-1947), an American birth control activist and sex educator. 3. Daniel Clement Dennett (1828-1918), an American politician who served as the 61st Governor of Vermont from 1909 to 1911. 4. George Dennett (1863-1949), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire. 5. Roger Dennett (born 1957), an English footballer who played as a midfielder for several clubs, including Ipswich Town and Norwich City.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dennett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dennett 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. Lancashire leads with 304 Dennetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 304 2.03x
Hampshire 117 4.53x
Kent 116 2.70x
Sussex 112 5.27x
Dorset 101 12.20x
Yorkshire 95 0.76x
Middlesex 86 0.68x
Somerset 66 3.25x
Surrey 64 1.04x
Nottinghamshire 59 3.47x
Cheshire 34 1.22x
Dunbartonshire 27 7.97x
Derbyshire 13 0.66x
Berkshire 12 1.27x
Warwickshire 11 0.35x
Durham 10 0.27x
Essex 10 0.40x
Hertfordshire 7 0.81x
Lanarkshire 7 0.17x
Lincolnshire 7 0.35x
Oxfordshire 7 0.90x
Wiltshire 7 0.63x
Devon 5 0.19x
Gloucestershire 4 0.16x
Bedfordshire 3 0.46x
Suffolk 3 0.20x
Northumberland 2 0.11x
Royal Navy 2 1.33x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x
Worcestershire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Widnes in Lancashire leads with 41 Dennetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.98x.

Place Total Index
Widnes 41 37.98x
Warrington 34 19.16x
Wigan 33 15.78x
Camberwell 31 3.85x
Windle 26 30.88x
Ditton 24 392.16x
Charlton Marshall 20 709.22x
Keymer 20 133.16x
Horton In Bradford 17 8.71x
Bonhill 16 29.41x
Lockerley 16 617.76x
Eccleston In Prescot 15 19.96x
Taunton St James 15 50.66x
Birchington 14 232.56x
South Stoneham 14 24.96x
West Derby 14 3.20x
Bradford 13 4.30x
Brighton 13 3.03x
Todmorden Walsden 13 32.42x
Billington 12 196.40x
Crewkerne 12 55.66x
Shoreditch London 12 2.19x
Bethnal Green London 11 2.01x
Dumbarton 11 23.32x
Hastings St Leonards 11 35.19x
Monkton 11 683.23x
Newington 11 31.96x
Radford 11 12.74x
St Luke London 10 4.94x
Stogumber 10 186.57x
Birkenhead 9 4.06x
Brading 9 26.19x
Glapwell 9 2195.12x
Islington London 9 0.74x
Itchingfield 9 481.28x
West Peckham 9 452.26x
Whippingham 9 45.97x
Whiston 9 77.12x
Worksop 9 17.85x
York St Mary 9 17.38x
Abbotsbury 8 189.13x
Ashmore 8 672.27x
Burtonwood 8 145.72x
Chislehurst 8 34.66x
Kings Somborne 8 147.60x
Latchford 8 43.24x
Minster In Thanet 8 89.29x
Monks Coppenhall 8 7.61x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.82x
Portsea 8 1.58x
Tonbridge 8 5.15x
Warsop 8 177.78x
Whitchurch 8 97.56x
Wingate 8 31.10x
Wisborough Green 8 111.89x
Cuckney 7 290.46x
Glasgow 7 0.97x
Margate St John Baptist 7 8.88x
Netherton 7 419.16x
New Windsor 7 21.99x
Prestwich 7 18.75x
Sedlescombe 7 250.00x
Skidby 7 445.86x
Woodlands 7 357.14x
Ash Next Sandwich 6 63.03x
Bermondsey 6 1.60x
Brinsworth 6 103.63x
Lewes St Michael 6 142.18x
Little Lever 6 31.35x
Lodsworth 6 204.08x
Romsey Extra 6 39.04x
South Petherton 6 57.25x
Southwark St Saviour 6 9.26x
Styrrup 6 237.15x
Sutton 6 13.49x
Toxteth Park 6 1.18x
Welton In The Marsh 6 370.37x
Chertsey 5 12.59x
Exeter Alphington 5 103.95x
Ince In Makerfield 5 7.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 78
William 77
James 50
Thomas 47
Charles 34
Henry 33
George 31
Joseph 17
Edward 15
Frederick 14
Robert 14
Alfred 12
Richard 12
Albert 11
Peter 11
Frank 8
Harry 7
Walter 7
Arthur 6
Francis 6
Herbert 5
Isaac 5
Samuel 5
Stephen 5
Edmund 4
Tom 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Hugh 3
Thos. 3
Arther 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
David 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Hambleton 2
Jno. 2
Jonathan 2
Levi 2
Moses 2
Ralph 2
Alfd. 1
Austin 1
Dennis 1
Ed. 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Henery 1
Wm.Hebditch 1

FAQ

Dennett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dennett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,295 people were recorded with the Dennett surname. That placed it at #3,164 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dennett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,155 in 2016. That gives Dennett a modern rank of #3,000.

What does the Dennett surname mean?

From the Old French place name "D'Anet," referring to someone from Anet, France.

What does the Dennett map show?

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