NameCensus.

UK surname

Dermott

Surname derived from the Irish words 'de' meaning 'from' and 'motte' meaning 'the mound or hill' or 'motte and bailey'.

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Dermott surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 272, ranked #15,832, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigan and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dermott is 298 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.3%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

272

2016, ranked #15,832

Peak year

2000

298 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dermott had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 272 in 2016, ranked #15,832.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 292 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Dermott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dermott surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dermott 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 251 #9,830
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 292 #11,351
1901 historical 237 #13,574
1911 historical 227 #13,795
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 259 #15,320
1999 modern 280 #14,630
2000 modern 298 #13,981
2001 modern 276 #14,507
2002 modern 282 #14,585
2003 modern 272 #14,746
2004 modern 253 #15,583
2005 modern 246 #15,802
2006 modern 246 #15,907
2007 modern 243 #16,243
2008 modern 237 #16,688
2009 modern 273 #15,436
2010 modern 290 #15,096
2011 modern 273 #15,606
2012 modern 268 #15,745
2013 modern 264 #16,191
2014 modern 269 #16,059
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 272 #15,832

Geography

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Where Dermotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigan, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan. 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 3
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 012 Wigan
2 Wigan 020 Wigan
3 Wigan 007 Wigan
4 Wigan 009 Wigan
5 Wigan 006 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dermott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dermott

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Dermott surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dermott household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Dermott is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dermott 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

Dermott falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dermott

The surname DERMOTT originated in Ireland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name O'Diarmada or O'Diarmuid, meaning "son of Diarmuid." The name Diarmuid is derived from the old Irish words "deor" meaning "stranger" and "muid" meaning "protector" or "freeholder."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the DERMOTT surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. It references a Tadhg O'Diarmada, who was the chief of the Ui Diarmada clan in County Galway in the year 1243.

The DERMOTT name was particularly prevalent in the western counties of Connacht, with strongholds in Galway, Mayo, and Sligo. Some notable individuals bearing the DERMOTT surname in Irish history include Teige O'Dermott (1590-1659), a member of the Irish Parliament and supporter of the Catholic Confederacy during the Irish Confederate Wars.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, many Irish families, including those with the DERMOTT surname, were displaced from their ancestral lands. As a result, the name began to appear in other parts of Ireland and eventually in other parts of the world as a result of emigration.

One famous bearer of the DERMOTT name was Roger de Coverley, also known as Roger DERMOTT (1717-1792), an Irish actor and playwright who achieved great success on the London stage during the 18th century. Another notable figure was Maurice DERMOTT (1776-1831), an Irish-born naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, Michael DERMOTT (1828-1900) was a prominent Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1892 to 1893. Across the Atlantic, Sir Aubrey DERMOTT (1842-1922) was a British naval officer and author who wrote several books on maritime history and naval affairs.

Throughout its history, the DERMOTT surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, including Dermot, Dermod, Darmod, and Darmouth, reflecting the phonetic differences between English and Irish Gaelic. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its Irish heritage and the Ui Diarmada clan of Connacht.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dermott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dermott 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 49 Dermotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.94x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 49 2.94x
Lancashire 45 2.27x
Durham 11 2.22x
Cheshire 10 2.72x
Yorkshire 9 0.54x
Staffordshire 8 1.42x
Warwickshire 8 1.90x
Norfolk 7 2.73x
Bedfordshire 5 5.79x
Surrey 5 0.62x
Dorset 4 3.65x
Hampshire 3 0.88x
Kent 3 0.53x
Angus 1 0.65x
Caernarfonshire 1 1.48x
Cumberland 1 0.70x
Glamorgan 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigan in Lancashire leads with 21 Dermotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.92x.

Place Total Index
Wigan 21 75.92x
Monks Coppenhall 9 64.79x
Preston 9 17.00x
Birmingham 8 5.71x
Everton 8 12.68x
Hackney London 8 8.56x
Islington London 8 4.95x
Ouston 8 1111.11x
Bunwell 7 1428.57x
St Pancras London 7 5.21x
Brewood 6 370.37x
Huddersfield 6 24.92x
Westminster St John 6 29.54x
Whitechapel London 6 36.50x
Leighton Buzzard 5 134.77x
Shoreditch London 5 6.92x
Bromley London 4 10.90x
Lambeth 4 2.75x
Leeds 3 3.21x
Portsea 3 4.48x
Tanfield 3 50.85x
Longfleet 2 157.48x
Manchester 2 2.25x
Radipole 2 263.16x
St Marylebone London 2 2.25x
Walton On Hill 2 18.66x
Birkenhead 1 3.41x
Camberwell 1 0.94x
Cardiff St Mary 1 6.25x
Christ Church Newgate 1 128.21x
Cockermouth 1 33.11x
Greenwich 1 3.77x
Liff Benvie 1 4.26x
Llanbeblig 1 14.62x
Margate St John Baptist 1 9.60x
Oldham 1 1.57x
Oswaldtwistle 1 14.31x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 52.36x
St George In East London 1 6.37x
Warton With Lindeth 1 120.48x
Whittington 1 86.96x
Wolstanton 1 5.85x
Woolwich 1 4.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 17
Thomas 10
James 8
Robert 8
Edward 5
William 5
Joseph 4
Henry 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Dermot 1
Edwin 1
Gerner 1
Harry 1
Jno. 1
Lawerence 1
Lawerrence 1
MC 1
Martin 1
Maxwell 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Rich.F. 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dermott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dermott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Dermott surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dermott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 272 in 2016. That gives Dermott a modern rank of #15,832.

What does the Dermott surname mean?

Surname derived from the Irish words 'de' meaning 'from' and 'motte' meaning 'the mound or hill' or 'motte and bailey'.

What does the Dermott map show?

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