NameCensus.

UK surname

Dennis

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Dennis," derived from the French name Denis, meaning "follower of Dionysus."

In the 1881 census there were 8,835 people recorded with the Dennis surname, ranking it #475 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,902, ranked #458, up from #475 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, East Lindsey and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dennis is 14,438 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.4%.

1881 census count

8,835

Ranked #475

Modern count

13,902

2016, ranked #458

Peak year

1999

14,438 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dennis had 8,835 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #475 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,902 in 2016, ranked #458.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,512 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dennis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dennis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dennis 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 5,385 #512
1861 historical 5,354 #521
1881 historical 8,835 #475
1891 historical 9,558 #464
1901 historical 11,309 #466
1911 historical 12,512 #391
1997 modern 13,791 #443
1998 modern 14,375 #438
1999 modern 14,438 #440
2000 modern 14,292 #444
2001 modern 13,916 #444
2002 modern 14,205 #445
2003 modern 13,758 #447
2004 modern 13,844 #444
2005 modern 13,454 #451
2006 modern 13,411 #457
2007 modern 13,565 #454
2008 modern 13,604 #455
2009 modern 13,842 #460
2010 modern 14,165 #459
2011 modern 13,918 #457
2012 modern 13,787 #450
2013 modern 14,097 #451
2014 modern 14,163 #454
2015 modern 14,008 #455
2016 modern 13,902 #458

Geography

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Where Dennis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, East Lindsey, North West Leicestershire and East Cambridgeshire. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 001 West Devon
2 East Lindsey 017 East Lindsey
3 North West Leicestershire 008 North West Leicestershire
4 North West Leicestershire 012 North West Leicestershire
5 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dennis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dennis

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Dennis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dennis 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dennis 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

Dennis 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dennis

The surname Dennis has its origins in England, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the French given name "Denis," which itself comes from the Latin name "Dionysius." This Latin name has Greek roots and means "follower of Dionysus," the god of wine and vegetation in Greek mythology.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dennis can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Denise" and "Denes." This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.

The surname Dennis was particularly prevalent in counties such as Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Oxfordshire in England. It is thought that the name may have been associated with certain place names, such as the village of Denham in Buckinghamshire, which was historically spelled as "Denham" or "Deneham."

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Dennis is Sir Walter Dennis (c. 1555-1634), an English courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King James I.

Another prominent individual with the Dennis surname was John Dennis (1658-1734), an English critic and playwright who was known for his literary criticism and his play "Liberty Asserted" (1704).

In the realm of science, Francis Dennis (1612-1698) was an English physician and writer who published several works on medicine and natural philosophy.

The name also has a connection to the American Revolutionary War, with John Dennis (1755-1836), an American soldier who fought in the Continental Army and later served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Lastly, a more recent figure is Carl Dennis (born 1939), an American poet and former poet laureate of the state of New York, known for his collections such as "Practical Gods" and "Night School."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dennis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dennis 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 1,142 Dennis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,142 1.32x
Yorkshire 817 0.95x
Surrey 675 1.60x
Devon 548 3.05x
Essex 494 2.90x
Kent 398 1.35x
Lincolnshire 384 2.78x
Norfolk 353 2.66x
Cornwall 326 3.33x
Derbyshire 313 2.31x
Leicestershire 247 2.58x
Sussex 236 1.62x
Bedfordshire 233 5.21x
Nottinghamshire 230 1.97x
Lancashire 228 0.22x
Hampshire 178 1.00x
Durham 164 0.64x
Staffordshire 162 0.56x
Glamorgan 161 1.07x
Dorset 155 2.73x
Suffolk 134 1.27x
Cambridgeshire 132 2.41x
Berkshire 124 1.91x
Warwickshire 109 0.50x
Somerset 105 0.75x
Cheshire 96 0.50x
Gloucestershire 91 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 70 1.34x
Wiltshire 60 0.79x
Oxfordshire 53 0.99x
Hertfordshire 52 0.87x
Herefordshire 41 1.16x
Lanarkshire 39 0.14x
Monmouthshire 36 0.58x
Flintshire 32 1.38x
Northamptonshire 30 0.37x
Worcestershire 29 0.26x
Northumberland 26 0.20x
Cumberland 22 0.30x
Midlothian 21 0.18x
Channel Islands 15 0.59x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 10 0.58x
Royal Navy 10 0.97x
Pembrokeshire 9 0.33x
Perthshire 9 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.23x
Carmarthenshire 8 0.22x
Shropshire 8 0.11x
Renfrewshire 7 0.10x
Stirlingshire 6 0.19x
Denbighshire 4 0.12x
Angus 3 0.04x
Brecknockshire 2 0.12x
Anglesey 1 0.07x
Argyllshire 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.09x
Ross-shire 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 122 Dennis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 122 1.62x
Hackney London 93 1.92x
Ashby De La Zouch 91 40.97x
St Marylebone London 89 1.93x
Croydon 87 3.72x
Islington London 87 1.04x
Shoreditch London 82 2.19x
West Ham 81 2.15x
Mile End Old Town London 78 4.24x
Newington 67 2.10x
Potton 66 111.11x
Aston 64 1.07x
St Pancras London 64 0.92x
Church Gresley 57 26.48x
Measham 57 114.62x
Upper Gravenhurst 57 542.86x
Beckenham 55 14.27x
Camberwell 54 0.98x
Kensington London 43 0.90x
Bermondsey 41 1.59x
Bethnal Green London 41 1.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 41 2.96x
Hampstead London 39 2.90x
Clerkenwell London 38 1.86x
Bideford 37 19.20x
Camborne 36 8.93x
Chelsea London 36 1.38x
Battersea 35 1.10x
Great Grimsby 35 3.99x
Hunslet 35 2.62x
Paddington London 35 1.10x
Barnsley 34 3.85x
St George Hanover Square 34 2.23x
Leicester St Margaret 33 1.41x
South Cave 33 115.95x
Sutton In Ashfield 33 13.06x
Wilsford 33 161.92x
Bromley London 32 1.68x
Halifax 32 2.55x
Bow London 31 2.82x
Kenwyn 31 12.12x
Plumstead 31 3.15x
Southwark St George Martyr 30 1.73x
Basford 29 5.40x
Castle Gresley 29 124.73x
Romford 29 10.75x
Sheringham 29 84.65x
Birkenhead 28 1.84x
Dorking 28 9.90x
Newbury 28 13.48x
Reigate Foreign 28 6.14x
Brighton 27 0.92x
Leeds 27 0.56x
Ogley Hay 27 44.59x
Aberdare 26 2.52x
Beckley 26 71.41x
Bintree 26 191.88x
Middlesbrough 26 2.33x
Nottingham St Mary 26 0.86x
Sheffield 26 0.95x
Woolwich 26 2.39x
Alfreton 25 6.08x
Chelmsford 25 8.54x
Deptford St Paul 25 1.10x
Eastbourne 25 3.73x
Barony 24 0.34x
Hucknall Torkard 24 8.13x
Littleport 24 22.95x
Stranton 24 2.77x
Ashill 23 118.50x
Minster In Sheppey 23 4.71x
Richmond 23 3.90x
Soham 23 19.53x
Westminster St John 23 2.19x
Wolborough 23 10.11x
Ashton Under Lyne 22 0.98x
Bedminster 22 1.68x
Birmingham 22 0.30x
Weymouth 22 20.48x
Oakthorpe Donsthorpe 21 81.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 593
Elizabeth 366
Sarah 310
Emma 166
Ann 158
Jane 158
Eliza 151
Annie 123
Ellen 121
Alice 116
Emily 108
Hannah 84
Louisa 79
Charlotte 64
Margaret 60
Fanny 58
Edith 57
Harriet 56
Martha 55
Susan 54
Ada 51
Maria 50
Florence 48
Caroline 47
Catherine 47
Anne 39
Clara 38
Kate 37
Amelia 36
Lucy 36
Sophia 35
Frances 34
Harriett 34
Rebecca 30
Julia 26
Rose 26
Agnes 25
Matilda 24
Amy 23
Grace 20
Lydia 19
Elizth. 18
Jessie 18
Selina 18
Anna 17
Gertrude 17
Minnie 17
Bessie 15
Esther 15
Maud 15

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 578
John 563
George 322
Thomas 304
James 284
Henry 197
Charles 169
Joseph 129
Robert 117
Edward 105
Arthur 93
Alfred 92
Richard 81
Frederick 70
Samuel 62
Walter 60
Albert 57
Harry 49
Herbert 41
Frank 37
Francis 34
Edwin 29
David 28
Wm. 27
Ernest 25
Benjamin 22
Thos. 21
Daniel 17
Tom 14
Fredk. 12
Stephen 12
Isaac 11
Mark 11
Matthew 11
Fred 10
Jesse 10
Willm. 10
Fredrick 8
Geo. 8
Leonard 8
Lewis 8
Chas. 7
Edgar 7
Percy 7
Earnest 6
Edmund 6
Edwd. 6
Jas. 6
Richd. 6
Sydney 6

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 Dennis households.

FAQ

Dennis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dennis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,835 people were recorded with the Dennis surname. That placed it at #475 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dennis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,902 in 2016. That gives Dennis a modern rank of #458.

What does the Dennis surname mean?

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Dennis," derived from the French name Denis, meaning "follower of Dionysus."

What does the Dennis map show?

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