NameCensus.

UK surname

Denty

An English surname derived from the French word "dent" meaning "tooth".

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Denty surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bedminster, Gelligaer and Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Lambeth and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Denty is 125 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.1%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

1911

125 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Denty had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Denty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Denty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Denty 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 119 #25,413
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

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Where Dentys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bedminster, Gelligaer, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Edmonton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Lambeth, Neath Port Talbot, West Dorset and Enfield. 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 Bedminster Somerset
2 Gelligaer Glamorganshire
3 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 1
5 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
2 Lambeth 036 Lambeth
3 Neath Port Talbot 003 Neath Port Talbot
4 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
5 Enfield 012 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Denty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Denty

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Denty, 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 Denty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Denty 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Denty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

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

Denty is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Denty falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Denty 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 Denty, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Denty

The surname Denty is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "dene," meaning a valley or a hollow, combined with the Old English word "ty," meaning an enclosure or a homestead. Thus, the name Denty likely referred to someone who lived in a homestead or settlement situated in a valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Denty can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1275, where a person named Richard de Denty is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in the West Midlands region of England.

In the 14th century, the Denty surname appears in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which list a William Denty. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of northern England by that time.

During the 16th century, the Denty surname can be found in the Parish Registers of Lincolnshire. One notable entry from 1592 records the marriage of Robert Denty and Margery Wilkinson in the parish of Bottesford.

In the 17th century, the Denty name appears in the Hearth Tax Returns of Leicestershire from 1662, where a Thomas Denty is listed as a householder in the village of Barlestone.

Over the centuries, several variations of the spelling have emerged, including Dentie, Dente, and Dentey. These spelling variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences.

Notable individuals who bore the Denty surname include:

1. Sir Robert Denty (1582-1658), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the early 17th century. 2. Elizabeth Denty (1638-1708), a Quaker preacher and author from Yorkshire, known for her influential religious writings. 3. John Denty (1717-1792), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Derbyshire, who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the area. 4. William Denty (1779-1842), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal for his distinguished service. 5. Margaret Denty (1856-1932), a pioneering English educator and suffragette, who campaigned for women's rights and advocated for improved access to education for girls.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Denty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Denty 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. Somerset leads with 28 Dentys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.04x.

County Total Index
Somerset 28 20.04x
Middlesex 19 2.19x
Glamorgan 10 6.62x
Gloucestershire 9 5.29x
Hampshire 7 3.93x
Dorset 6 10.53x
Surrey 5 1.18x
Channel Islands 2 7.78x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.85x
Sussex 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedminster in Somerset leads with 16 Dentys recorded in 1881 and an index of 121.86x.

Place Total Index
Bedminster 16 121.86x
Gelligaer 10 289.86x
Clifton 9 104.53x
Enfield 7 123.02x
Maiden Newton 6 2500.00x
Paddington London 6 18.80x
Southampton St Mary 6 53.62x
Guildford St Nicholas 5 666.67x
Hardington Mandeville 5 2631.58x
East Chinnock 3 1764.71x
Long Ashton 3 434.78x
St George Hanover Square 2 13.08x
St Sampson 2 172.41x
Basford 1 18.55x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.88x
Eastbourne 1 14.86x
Portsea 1 2.87x
St Marylebone London 1 2.16x
St Pancras London 1 1.43x
Toxteth Park 1 2.87x
Uxbridge 1 101.01x
Yeovil 1 35.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Alice 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Mary 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Emmily 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Lilian 1
Lottie 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Minnie 1
Rhoda 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
George 5
William 5
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Henry 2
Abraham 1
Ada 1
Albert 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Heber 1
Lewis 1
Michael 1
Noah 1
Reynold 1
Walter 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Denty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Denty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Denty surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Denty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Denty a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Denty surname mean?

An English surname derived from the French word "dent" meaning "tooth".

What does the Denty map show?

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