NameCensus.

UK surname

Denston

In the 1881 census there were 148 people recorded with the Denston surname, ranking it #15,611 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 191, ranked #20,194, down from #15,611 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Alkmund, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire and Cambridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Denston is 217 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.1%.

1881 census count

148

Ranked #15,611

Modern count

191

2016, ranked #20,194

Peak year

1891

217 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Denston had 148 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,611 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 191 in 2016, ranked #20,194.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Denston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Denston surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Denston 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 148 #15,611
1891 historical 217 #14,062
1901 historical 194 #15,425
1911 historical 180 #15,961
1997 modern 195 #17,912
1998 modern 199 #18,177
1999 modern 208 #17,808
2000 modern 196 #18,431
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 203 #17,967
2004 modern 198 #18,308
2005 modern 200 #18,144
2006 modern 187 #19,079
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 194 #19,819
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 197 #19,408
2013 modern 191 #20,124
2014 modern 197 #19,903
2015 modern 194 #19,994
2016 modern 191 #20,194

Geography

Back to top

Where Denstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Alkmund, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, St Werburgh, Llangattock Vibon Avel and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, Cambridge and Dudley. 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 Alkmund Derbyshire
2 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Llangattock Vibon Avel Monmouthshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 005 Wolverhampton
2 South Staffordshire 001 South Staffordshire
3 Cambridge 006 Cambridge
4 Dudley 017 Dudley
5 Dudley 022 Dudley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Denston

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Denston

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Denston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Denston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Denston is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

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

Denston is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Denston 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 Denston is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Denston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Denston 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. Derbyshire leads with 32 Denstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.26x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 32 14.26x
Warwickshire 30 8.30x
Middlesex 22 1.53x
Cambridgeshire 16 17.62x
Staffordshire 13 2.69x
Lancashire 12 0.71x
Surrey 8 1.15x
Monmouthshire 7 6.75x
Northamptonshire 3 2.22x
Devon 2 0.67x
Kent 1 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 16 Denstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.07x.

Place Total Index
Aston 16 16.07x
Downham 15 1562.50x
Derby St Alkmund 11 163.45x
Birmingham 10 8.30x
Derby St Peter 9 125.87x
Islington London 7 5.04x
Llangattock Vibon Avel 7 2916.67x
Whitechapel London 7 49.54x
Litchurch 6 66.45x
Birkdale 5 116.28x
Bury 5 25.72x
Kingston On Thames 5 29.80x
Derby All Sts 4 213.90x
Handsworth 4 33.53x
Sutton Coldfield 4 105.26x
Audley 3 62.63x
Kettering 3 55.05x
Wolverhampton 3 8.06x
East Budleigh 2 141.84x
Hackney London 2 2.49x
St Botolph Aldgate London 2 67.80x
Twickenham 2 32.52x
Wednesfield 2 28.09x
Bermondsey 1 2.34x
Breadsall 1 384.62x
Burton Upon Trent 1 8.83x
Camberwell 1 1.09x
Derby St Werburgh 1 7.72x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 25.25x
Liverpool 1 0.97x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.00x
Penshurst 1 121.95x
St George In East London 1 7.41x
St Marylebone London 1 1.31x
Streatham 1 9.40x
Toxteth Park 1 1.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 9
Joseph 7
Thomas 7
Charles 4
Frederick 4
James 4
Walter 4
George 3
Albert 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Cyril 1
Elisha 1
Harry 1
Moses 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Reuben 1
Thos. 1
Thos.W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Denston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Denston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 148 people were recorded with the Denston surname. That placed it at #15,611 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Denston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 191 in 2016. That gives Denston a modern rank of #20,194.

What does the Denston map show?

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