NameCensus.

UK surname

Denoon

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "dùn Nuadhan" meaning "hill of the little fort".

In the 1881 census there were 154 people recorded with the Denoon surname, ranking it #15,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, down from #15,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Urquhart, Tarbat and Inverness and Bona. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tain, Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry and Sutherland East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Denoon is 204 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.1%.

1881 census count

154

Ranked #15,259

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

2011

204 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Denoon had 154 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Denoon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Denoon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Denoon 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 154 #15,259
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 8 #32,903
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 164 #20,584
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 186 #19,150
2003 modern 176 #19,623
2004 modern 182 #19,306
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 178 #19,887
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 184 #20,079
2010 modern 197 #19,640
2011 modern 204 #19,040
2012 modern 186 #20,141
2013 modern 186 #20,502
2014 modern 188 #20,503
2015 modern 189 #20,345
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Denoons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Urquhart, Tarbat, Inverness and Bona, Logie-Easter and Ardersier. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tain, Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry, Sutherland East, Gedling and Inverness Inshes. 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 Urquhart Elgin
2 Tarbat Ross And Cromarty
3 Inverness and Bona Inverness
4 Logie-Easter Ross And Cromarty
5 Ardersier Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tain Highland
2 Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry Moray
3 Sutherland East Highland
4 Gedling 013 Gedling
5 Inverness Inshes Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Denoon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Denoon

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Denoon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Denoon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Denoon 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

Denoon is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Denoon 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 Denoon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Denoon

The surname Denoon is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely emerging during the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning "hill" or "fort" and the personal name "Donnan," suggesting the name may have originated as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a particular hill or fortified place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "de Dunon," reflecting an earlier spelling variation.

Denoon is also believed to be related to the place name "Dunoon" in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. This town's name is derived from the Gaelic "dun" and a personal name, possibly "Nun" or "Nunn." It is possible that some early bearers of the Denoon surname hailed from or had connections to this area.

Notable individuals with the surname Denoon include:

1. Sir James Denoon (1737-1809), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1799 to 1801. 2. Robert Denoon (1805-1867), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in mapping and exploring parts of South Australia and Western Australia in the mid-19th century. 3. John Denoon (1820-1895), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1879 to 1882. 4. William Denoon (1857-1923), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1899 to 1915. 5. Donald Denoon (1926-2022), a prominent Australian historian and academic who specialized in the history of the Pacific Islands and published numerous books and articles on the subject.

While the surname Denoon is relatively uncommon, it has a long history rooted in Scotland, with various spelling variations and connections to specific places and individuals over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Denoon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Denoon 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. Ross-shire leads with 100 Denoons recorded in 1881 and an index of 240.85x.

County Total Index
Ross-shire 100 240.85x
Morayshire 17 72.37x
Inverness-shire 11 24.36x
Kent 7 1.36x
Nairnshire 6 130.15x
Selkirkshire 5 36.55x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.43x
Lanarkshire 2 0.41x
Midlothian 2 0.99x
Northumberland 1 0.44x
Renfrewshire 1 0.85x
Roxburghshire 1 3.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tain in Ross-shire leads with 31 Denoons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1974.52x.

Place Total Index
Tain 31 1974.52x
Tarbat 25 2551.02x
Fearn 13 1171.17x
Drainie 9 432.69x
Logie Easter 8 1860.47x
Ardersier 7 648.15x
Urquhart 7 630.63x
Dingwall 6 512.82x
Kincardine 6 789.47x
Plumstead 6 34.90x
Galashiels 5 98.81x
Rosemarkie 5 1111.11x
Inverness 4 35.21x
Nairn 4 142.86x
Auldearn 2 298.51x
Avoch 2 227.27x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.45x
Rosskeen 2 102.56x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 3.42x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 3.82x
Barony 1 0.81x
Cromarty 1 90.09x
Eckford 1 212.77x
Fodderty 1 95.24x
Glasgow 1 1.15x
Greenwich 1 4.15x
Longbenton 1 10.49x
Speymouth 1 294.12x
West Greenock 1 4.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anne 1
Isabell 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Walter 2
Angus 1
John 1
Maria 1

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 Denoon households.

FAQ

Denoon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Denoon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 154 people were recorded with the Denoon surname. That placed it at #15,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Denoon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Denoon a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Denoon surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "dùn Nuadhan" meaning "hill of the little fort".

What does the Denoon map show?

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