NameCensus.

UK surname

Dewe

In the 1881 census there were 177 people recorded with the Dewe surname, ranking it #13,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #13,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Abingdon St Helen, Abingdon St Nicholas, Swindon, Lyddington and Hampstead Norris. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Cotswold and North Hertfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dewe is 224 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 42.9%.

1881 census count

177

Ranked #13,889

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1891

224 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dewe had 177 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dewe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dewe surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dewe 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 177 #13,889
1891 historical 224 #13,760
1901 historical 217 #14,381
1911 historical 206 #14,677
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 114 #26,796
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 106 #29,157
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

Back to top

Where Dewes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Abingdon St Helen, Abingdon St Nicholas, Swindon, Lyddington, Hampstead Norris, Bampton (Brighthamton, Shifford, Aston and Cote, Bampton, Weald, Chimney), Witney (Lew), Blackbourto and Barnes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Cotswold, North Hertfordshire, West Oxfordshire and Forest of Dean. 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 Abingdon St Helen, Abingdon St Nicholas Berkshire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Hampstead Norris Berkshire
4 Bampton (Brighthamton, Shifford, Aston and Cote, Bampton, Weald, Chimney), Witney (Lew), Blackbourto Oxfordshire
5 Barnes Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 004 Central Bedfordshire
2 Cotswold 003 Cotswold
3 North Hertfordshire 011 North Hertfordshire
4 West Oxfordshire 015 West Oxfordshire
5 Forest of Dean 006 Forest of Dean

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dewe

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dewe

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dewe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Dewe is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dewe falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dewe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dewe 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. Berkshire leads with 90 Dewes recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.85x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 90 69.85x
Middlesex 12 0.70x
Oxfordshire 12 11.32x
Kent 11 1.88x
Sussex 9 3.11x
Wiltshire 8 5.27x
Essex 6 1.77x
Surrey 6 0.72x
Gloucestershire 5 1.49x
Derbyshire 3 1.12x
Staffordshire 3 0.52x
Lincolnshire 2 0.73x
Northumberland 2 0.78x
Yorkshire 2 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.28x
Hertfordshire 1 0.85x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.36x
Worcestershire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton Courtney in Berkshire leads with 34 Dewes recorded in 1881 and an index of 6415.09x.

Place Total Index
Sutton Courtney 34 6415.09x
Bampton 8 975.61x
Drayton 8 2162.16x
Appleford 7 3500.00x
Burghfield 7 921.05x
Hampstead Norris 7 864.20x
Shoreditch London 7 9.41x
Compton 6 1621.62x
Kingsdown In Dartford 5 2083.33x
Longworth 5 1428.57x
Balking 4 4000.00x
Brentwood 4 193.24x
Northfleet 4 77.52x
Ringmer 4 487.80x
Stratton St Margaret 4 171.67x
Swindon 4 33.96x
Brighton 3 5.14x
Moreton In Marsh 3 357.14x
Walsall Foreign 3 10.02x
Abingdon St Helen 2 53.05x
Bethnal Green London 2 2.68x
Bradford 2 4.86x
Chesterfield 2 19.86x
Clee With Weelsby 2 33.28x
Eastbourne 2 15.02x
Glanton 2 689.66x
Minchinhampton 2 74.63x
Oxford St Giles 2 39.53x
Poplar London 2 6.17x
Reading St Mary 2 19.38x
Reigate Foreign 2 22.08x
Battersea 1 1.58x
Betchworth 1 97.09x
Bicester Market End 1 51.28x
Brize Norton 1 222.22x
Chieveley 1 147.06x
Christchurch 1 13.11x
Clewer 1 18.94x
Cookham 1 24.88x
Derby St Peter 1 11.68x
Feckenham 1 38.91x
Garford 1 500.00x
Greenham 1 156.25x
Hampstead London 1 3.74x
Lambourne 1 200.00x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 13.83x
Minster In Thanet 1 81.97x
Moston 1 49.02x
Newbury 1 24.21x
Newington 1 1.58x
Reading St Giles 1 7.91x
Shenfield 1 113.64x
Sturry 1 144.93x
Sutton Wick 1 476.19x
Walton On Thames 1 26.04x
Watford 1 10.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
George 11
John 7
James 6
Charles 5
Thomas 5
Albert 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Philip 3
Robert 3
Benjamin 2
Mark 2
Stephen 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Ben 1
Chas.Douglas 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Henry 1
Marsden 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Tom. 1
Uriah 1
Wallace 1
Wm.Mills 1

FAQ

Dewe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dewe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 177 people were recorded with the Dewe surname. That placed it at #13,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dewe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Dewe a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Dewe map show?

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