NameCensus.

UK surname

Desborough

In the 1881 census there were 608 people recorded with the Desborough surname, ranking it #5,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,011, ranked #5,754, up from #5,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Finedon or Thingdon and Rushden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough, Huntingdonshire and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Desborough is 1,129 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.3%.

1881 census count

608

Ranked #5,765

Modern count

1,011

2016, ranked #5,754

Peak year

1998

1,129 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Desborough had 608 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,011 in 2016, ranked #5,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,031 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Desborough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Desborough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Desborough 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 308 #7,478
1861 historical 329 #7,748
1881 historical 608 #5,765
1891 historical 715 #5,510
1901 historical 915 #5,080
1911 historical 1,031 #4,448
1997 modern 1,089 #5,110
1998 modern 1,129 #5,139
1999 modern 1,111 #5,255
2000 modern 1,108 #5,239
2001 modern 1,084 #5,234
2002 modern 1,111 #5,233
2003 modern 1,069 #5,297
2004 modern 1,042 #5,425
2005 modern 1,028 #5,425
2006 modern 1,028 #5,434
2007 modern 1,016 #5,536
2008 modern 1,026 #5,533
2009 modern 1,032 #5,629
2010 modern 1,048 #5,659
2011 modern 1,038 #5,642
2012 modern 1,026 #5,622
2013 modern 1,029 #5,702
2014 modern 1,024 #5,747
2015 modern 1,018 #5,726
2016 modern 1,011 #5,754

Geography

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Where Desboroughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Finedon or Thingdon, Rushden, Wymington, Higham Park and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wellingborough, Huntingdonshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Kettering. 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 Finedon or Thingdon Northamptonshire
3 Rushden Northamptonshire
4 Wymington, Higham Park Northamptonshire
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough
2 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 004 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 015 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Kettering 011 Kettering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Desborough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Desborough

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Desborough is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Desborough 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

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

1881 census detail

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Desborough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Desborough 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. Northamptonshire leads with 92 Desboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.44x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 92 16.44x
Bedfordshire 74 24.02x
Middlesex 53 0.89x
Cambridgeshire 52 13.80x
Surrey 49 1.69x
Hertfordshire 39 9.51x
Norfolk 33 3.61x
Suffolk 31 4.28x
Lincolnshire 28 2.94x
Yorkshire 28 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 27 3.37x
Hampshire 17 1.39x
Derbyshire 12 1.29x
Huntingdonshire 12 10.16x
Warwickshire 10 0.67x
Lancashire 8 0.11x
Essex 7 0.60x
Leicestershire 6 0.91x
Staffordshire 6 0.30x
Herefordshire 5 2.05x
Cumberland 3 0.59x
Devon 3 0.24x
Kent 3 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.56x
Channel Islands 2 1.13x
Gloucestershire 2 0.17x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.18x
Berkshire 1 0.22x
Denbighshire 1 0.44x
Oxfordshire 1 0.27x
Rutland 1 2.29x
Worcestershire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wymington in Bedfordshire leads with 29 Desboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2871.29x.

Place Total Index
Wymington 29 2871.29x
Finedon 24 489.80x
Rushden 24 320.43x
Woodborough 22 1215.47x
Camberwell 20 5.26x
Elsworth 18 1313.87x
Islington London 16 2.77x
Kirton 15 1162.79x
March 15 118.86x
Falkenham 14 2500.00x
Edworth 13 5652.17x
Stamford St George 11 257.01x
Tilney Cum Islington 11 1864.41x
Wisbech St Peter 11 58.20x
Sandon 10 645.16x
Aston 9 2.18x
Brading 9 55.52x
Ackworth 8 176.60x
Bermondsey 8 4.52x
Biggleswade 8 79.29x
Luton 8 15.00x
Newington 8 3.64x
Northampton Priory St 8 23.82x
Alfreton 7 24.74x
Hemel Hempstead 7 37.88x
Northampton St Giles 7 32.83x
Ridge 7 843.37x
Burton Lazars 6 1200.00x
Great Grimsby 6 9.94x
Hartford 6 779.22x
Rugeley 6 41.64x
Thorpe Next Norwich 6 61.86x
Water Newton 6 2500.00x
West Ham 6 2.31x
Winwick In Oundle 6 983.61x
Chaddesden 5 403.23x
Heacham 5 246.31x
Hereford St Owen 5 62.03x
Hulme 5 3.39x
Irchester 5 144.09x
Shoreditch London 5 1.94x
St George Hanover Square 5 4.77x
St Pancras London 5 1.04x
Stevenage 5 78.62x
Wortley In Bramley 5 10.71x
Battersea 4 1.83x
Bedford St Peter 4 50.00x
Elstow 4 350.88x
Fulham London 4 4.64x
Irthlingborough 4 72.86x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 14.05x
Paddington London 4 1.83x
Peterborough 4 9.87x
Riseley 4 205.13x
Rotherhithe 4 5.44x
St Thomas Winchester 4 46.46x
Weston 4 232.56x
Bedford St Paul 3 14.20x
Guilden Morden 3 150.00x
Hackney London 3 0.90x
Havant 3 48.54x
Louth 3 13.76x
Rotherham 3 9.03x
Rowley 3 232.56x
Shephall 3 652.17x
St Cuthbert W O 3 12.01x
St Marylebone London 3 0.94x
Wheathampstead 3 63.29x
Ashwell 2 62.11x
Batley 2 3.57x
Clenchwarton 2 147.06x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 1.67x
Lambeth 2 0.39x
Loddington 2 377.36x
Newport Pagnell 2 26.60x
Nottingham St Mary 2 0.96x
Pilton 2 48.90x
Salford 2 0.96x
Snettisham 2 79.05x
Wellingborough 2 7.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 20
Emily 13
Annie 12
Emma 12
Jane 12
Louisa 9
Ann 8
Eliza 8
Ellen 8
Alice 7
Rose 7
Clara 6
Ada 5
Caroline 5
Fanny 5
Harriett 5
Martha 5
Catherine 4
Florence 4
Gertrude 4
Henrietta 4
Kate 4
Agnes 3
Hannah 3
Julia 3
Maria 3
Priscilla 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Susannah 3
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Jessie 2
Rebecca 2
Selina 2
Violet 2
Alma 1
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Elizh. 1
Elizh.J. 1
Kerenhappuck 1
Kezia 1
Leah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 46
George 31
William 26
Charles 17
Thomas 15
Robert 14
James 13
Henry 12
Edward 10
Walter 10
Alfred 8
Frederick 8
Albert 7
Arthur 7
Joseph 5
Samuel 4
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Daniel 2
Enoch 2
Frank 2
Isaac 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Alphonso 1
Amos 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwd. 1
Ekin 1
Frances 1
Fredd 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Guderwood 1
J. 1
Jonathan 1
Laurence 1
Louis 1
Malo 1
Montague 1
Owen 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Sinties 1
Spendbae 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Desborough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Desborough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 608 people were recorded with the Desborough surname. That placed it at #5,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Desborough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,011 in 2016. That gives Desborough a modern rank of #5,754.

What does the Desborough map show?

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