NameCensus.

UK surname

Dennington

An English habitational surname originally denoting someone from Dennington, Suffolk.

In the 1881 census there were 316 people recorded with the Dennington surname, ranking it #9,375 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 485, ranked #10,205, down from #9,375 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Beccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, Darlington and Mansfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dennington is 499 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.5%.

1881 census count

316

Ranked #9,375

Modern count

485

2016, ranked #10,205

Peak year

2010

499 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dennington had 316 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,375 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 485 in 2016, ranked #10,205.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 429 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dennington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dennington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dennington 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 181 #11,256
1861 historical 220 #11,076
1881 historical 316 #9,375
1891 historical 362 #9,569
1901 historical 409 #9,338
1911 historical 429 #8,815
1997 modern 456 #9,971
1998 modern 473 #10,018
1999 modern 493 #9,765
2000 modern 480 #9,932
2001 modern 475 #9,827
2002 modern 480 #9,940
2003 modern 461 #10,072
2004 modern 452 #10,270
2005 modern 454 #10,144
2006 modern 441 #10,411
2007 modern 456 #10,221
2008 modern 450 #10,416
2009 modern 477 #10,206
2010 modern 499 #10,078
2011 modern 492 #10,072
2012 modern 494 #9,959
2013 modern 487 #10,227
2014 modern 488 #10,271
2015 modern 493 #10,100
2016 modern 485 #10,205

Geography

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Where Denningtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Beccles, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Monmouthshire, Darlington, Mansfield, Cornwall and Waveney. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Beccles Suffolk
4 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monmouthshire 003 Monmouthshire
2 Darlington 014 Darlington
3 Mansfield 009 Mansfield
4 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
5 Waveney 012 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dennington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dennington

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dennington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dennington household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Dennington is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Dennington 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dennington

The surname Dennington is of English origin, originating from the county of Suffolk in the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "dene" meaning valley and "inga" meaning people or folk, combined with the suffix "-ton" indicating a settlement or town. Thus, Dennington refers to the people or inhabitants of the valley town.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Dennington can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions the village of Dennington in Suffolk. This suggests that the surname was derived from this place name and dates back to at least the 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Dennington surname was Roger de Dennington, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk in 1199. These rolls were financial records kept by the royal exchequer, indicating that the Dennington family held a prominent position in the county during the 12th century.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with slight variations in spelling, such as Denyntone and Denyngton. This was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Dennington include:

1. Sir John Dennington (c. 1520 - 1596), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Ipswich during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. William Dennington (1615 - 1688), a Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Mildenhall in Suffolk.

3. Elizabeth Dennington (c. 1630 - 1706), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who endowed a school and almshouses in the village of Dennington.

4. Thomas Dennington (1721 - 1798), a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Suffolk, including the Shire Hall in Bury St Edmunds.

5. Reverend James Dennington (1765 - 1842), an Anglican clergyman and author who served as the rector of Dennington for over 40 years.

Throughout its history, the surname Dennington has remained closely associated with the county of Suffolk and the village from which it originated. While the name may have spread to other parts of England over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to this specific geographic location and its earliest recorded instances in the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dennington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dennington 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. Norfolk leads with 79 Denningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.62x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 79 16.62x
Middlesex 76 2.46x
Suffolk 61 16.20x
Surrey 21 1.39x
Kent 13 1.23x
Cambridgeshire 12 6.13x
Warwickshire 9 1.15x
Durham 8 0.87x
Essex 8 1.31x
Yorkshire 7 0.23x
Cheshire 6 0.88x
Dorset 5 2.46x
Sussex 4 0.77x
Lancashire 3 0.08x
Derbyshire 1 0.21x
Hampshire 1 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.63x
Lanarkshire 1 0.10x
Northumberland 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beccles in Suffolk leads with 17 Denningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 280.53x.

Place Total Index
Beccles 17 280.53x
Shoreditch London 14 10.44x
St Pancras London 14 5.62x
Wrentham 13 1250.00x
Norwich St Michael At 12 434.78x
Camberwell 11 5.57x
Diss 11 269.61x
Hellesdon 10 1149.43x
St Andrewthe Less 10 44.68x
Birmingham 9 3.46x
Mile End Old Town London 9 13.68x
Norwich St Peter Hungate 9 2195.12x
Great Yarmouth 8 20.31x
Heigham 8 31.35x
Heworth 8 44.13x
Kensington London 7 4.07x
Tottenham 7 14.21x
Catton 6 759.49x
Dukinfield 6 19.02x
Greenwich 6 12.19x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 6 207.61x
Walton 6 444.44x
Middlesbrough 5 12.53x
Portland 5 45.83x
St Giles Cripplegate 5 121.95x
Alderton 4 714.29x
Ealing 4 14.47x
Frant 4 108.40x
Hackney London 4 2.31x
Lowestoft 4 22.48x
Newington 4 3.50x
St Giles In Fields London 4 26.37x
Woodford 4 57.89x
Aldringham 3 555.56x
Clapham 3 7.76x
Gravesend 3 33.59x
Hammersmith London 3 3.94x
Kelsale 3 285.71x
Tonbridge 3 7.88x
Blackburn 2 2.05x
Bungay Holy Trinity 2 103.63x
Norwich St Helen 2 338.98x
Norwich St Paul 2 70.18x
Orford 2 165.29x
Paddington London 2 1.76x
Sculcoates 2 4.12x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 3.21x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 14.94x
Thorpe Next Norwich 2 39.68x
West Ham 2 1.48x
Woodbridge 2 41.49x
Alverstoke 1 4.36x
Braintree 1 18.25x
Coddenham 1 116.28x
Crostwick 1 588.24x
Derby St Werburgh 1 3.58x
Forest Gate 1 117.65x
Glasgow 1 0.56x
Houghton 1 185.19x
Hulme 1 1.31x
Ipswich St Lawrence 1 196.08x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 7.82x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 1 119.05x
Lambeth 1 0.37x
Lewisham 1 1.78x
Melton 1 67.57x
Morpeth 1 18.48x
Norwich St James 1 26.81x
Roydon In Guiltcross 1 153.85x
St Marythe Less 1 84.03x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.15x
Wisbech St Mary 1 44.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Alice 10
Hannah 9
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Agnes 5
Annie 5
Charlotte 5
Jane 5
Kate 5
Edith 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Ada 3
Amelia 3
Lucy 3
Sophia 3
Susannah 3
Ann 2
Beatrice 2
Catherine 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Isabel 2
Isabella 2
Laura 2
Maria 2
Maud 2
Nellie 2
Rose 2
Sopha 2
Virginia 2
Anna 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Florance 1
Hetly 1
Keziah 1
Martha 1
Marthe 1
May 1
Melina 1
Phillippa 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 11
John 10
James 9
Henry 8
Robert 8
Alfred 7
Charles 7
Clement 6
Edward 5
Herbert 4
Albert 3
Arthur 2
Augustus 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Jas. 2
Joseph 2
Maurice 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Abraham 1
Alf.Geo. 1
Benjamin 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Jesse 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Lindsey 1
Ludovico 1
Percy 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dennington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dennington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 316 people were recorded with the Dennington surname. That placed it at #9,375 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dennington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 485 in 2016. That gives Dennington a modern rank of #10,205.

What does the Dennington surname mean?

An English habitational surname originally denoting someone from Dennington, Suffolk.

What does the Dennington map show?

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