NameCensus.

UK surname

Dewberry

An English occupational surname referring to someone who harvested or sold berries, particularly dewberries or blackberries.

In the 1881 census there were 170 people recorded with the Dewberry surname, ranking it #14,265 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, up from #14,265 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Cambridge: All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, North Somerset and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dewberry is 344 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.2%.

1881 census count

170

Ranked #14,265

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

2009

344 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dewberry had 170 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,265 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 278 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dewberry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dewberry surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dewberry 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 57 #23,092
1861 historical 41 #28,839
1881 historical 170 #14,265
1891 historical 190 #15,486
1901 historical 207 #14,803
1911 historical 278 #12,038
1997 modern 323 #12,888
1998 modern 339 #12,810
1999 modern 342 #12,829
2000 modern 343 #12,746
2001 modern 340 #12,620
2002 modern 332 #13,090
2003 modern 327 #13,046
2004 modern 330 #12,994
2005 modern 320 #13,243
2006 modern 330 #13,021
2007 modern 326 #13,260
2008 modern 329 #13,286
2009 modern 344 #13,138
2010 modern 340 #13,498
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 320 #13,868
2013 modern 321 #14,073
2014 modern 315 #14,334
2015 modern 315 #14,247
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

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Where Dewberrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Peterborough St John the Baptist, Cambridge: All Saints and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, North Somerset, Swale and South Somerset. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
4 Cambridge: All Saints Cambridgeshire
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 006 Bolsover
2 North Somerset 013 North Somerset
3 Swale 004 Swale
4 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
5 Bolsover 007 Bolsover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dewberry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dewberry

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Dewberry is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Dewberry is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dewberry falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dewberry

The surname Dewberry is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "deaw" meaning dew and "berian" meaning berry, suggesting a connection to a place where dewberries, a type of wild blackberry, were found in abundance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a William Dewbery is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the West Midlands region of England.

During the medieval period, surnames were often derived from occupations, locations, or physical characteristics. In the case of Dewberry, it is likely that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a place where dewberries grew in profusion.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a place called "Dewebrigge" in Gloucestershire, which may have been the origin of the surname for some families.

Some notable individuals with the surname Dewberry include:

1. Thomas Dewberry (c. 1600-1673), an English Quaker minister and one of the earliest proponents of the Quaker movement. 2. John Dewberry (1693-1783), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century. 3. William Dewberry (1836-1906), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the 19th century. 4. Clarence Dewberry (1899-1979), an American blues musician and songwriter from Mississippi. 5. Harriet Dewberry (1858-1932), an American educator and activist who played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in Virginia.

Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Dewbery, Dewbery, and Dewbury. Additionally, the name may have been influenced by place names such as Dewsbury, a town in West Yorkshire, England, which could have contributed to its evolution and geographical distribution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dewberry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dewberry 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 29 Dewberrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.75x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 1.75x
Kent 27 4.77x
Cambridgeshire 22 20.95x
Surrey 16 1.98x
Bedfordshire 15 17.47x
Buckinghamshire 10 9.98x
Northamptonshire 10 6.41x
Essex 6 1.83x
Huntingdonshire 6 18.23x
Lancashire 5 0.25x
Gloucestershire 4 1.23x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.79x
Oxfordshire 4 3.91x
Cheshire 3 0.82x
Hampshire 3 0.88x
Hertfordshire 3 2.62x
Devon 1 0.29x
Suffolk 1 0.50x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. All Saints Cambridge in Cambridgeshire leads with 13 Dewberrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1756.76x.

Place Total Index
All Saints Cambridge 13 1756.76x
Eversholt 12 2727.27x
Battersea 10 16.39x
St Pancras London 10 7.49x
Islington London 8 4.98x
Bethnal Green London 7 9.72x
Peterborough 7 62.00x
Borden 6 833.33x
Cudham 6 1034.48x
Farnborough 6 731.71x
Saffron Walden 6 173.41x
St Pauls Cray 6 1395.35x
Woking 6 123.20x
Skelmersdale 5 152.44x
St Andrewthe Great 5 367.65x
Carlton 4 156.86x
Kensington London 4 4.34x
Thame 4 215.05x
Whitcombe Magna 4 4444.44x
Woodwalton 4 2500.00x
Bierton With Broughton 3 652.17x
Broxbourne 3 132.16x
Castor 3 454.55x
Cuddington 3 1111.11x
Hyde 3 27.78x
Kempston 3 153.85x
Thorney 3 256.41x
Maidstone 2 11.87x
Monks Risborough 2 416.67x
Alverstoke 1 8.13x
Bromley 1 11.60x
Buckland 1 204.08x
Cleckheaton 1 16.53x
Framlingham 1 69.93x
Hemingford Abbots 1 454.55x
Huntingdon All Sts 1 434.78x
Kenn 1 185.19x
Portsmouth 1 12.77x
Quainton 1 204.08x
Ryde 1 13.70x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 27.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 9
Ellen 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Emma 3
Frances 3
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Deborah 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Julia 2
Maud 2
Adelina 1
Agnes 1
Allice 1
Amelia 1
Caroline 1
Constance 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Franses 1
Helen 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lettira 1
Louisear 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
James 12
William 12
George 8
Thomas 5
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 1
Elliot 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Philip 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Job 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Mark 1
Robert 1
Sarah 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Dewberry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dewberry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 170 people were recorded with the Dewberry surname. That placed it at #14,265 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dewberry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Dewberry a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Dewberry surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who harvested or sold berries, particularly dewberries or blackberries.

What does the Dewberry map show?

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