NameCensus.

UK surname

Dewhirst

A locational surname denoting someone who resided near a valley with a spring or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 1,428 people recorded with the Dewhirst surname, ranking it #2,917 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 922, ranked #6,187, down from #2,917 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, East Riding of Yorkshire and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dewhirst is 1,666 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 35.4%.

1881 census count

1,428

Ranked #2,917

Modern count

922

2016, ranked #6,187

Peak year

1901

1,666 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dewhirst had 1,428 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,917 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 922 in 2016, ranked #6,187.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,666 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Dewhirst surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dewhirst surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dewhirst 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 920 #2,998
1861 historical 869 #3,193
1881 historical 1,428 #2,917
1891 historical 1,356 #3,206
1901 historical 1,666 #3,092
1911 historical 1,558 #3,110
1997 modern 988 #5,559
1998 modern 997 #5,687
1999 modern 1,024 #5,607
2000 modern 988 #5,745
2001 modern 968 #5,734
2002 modern 990 #5,743
2003 modern 968 #5,747
2004 modern 1,004 #5,580
2005 modern 987 #5,607
2006 modern 963 #5,727
2007 modern 960 #5,797
2008 modern 964 #5,812
2009 modern 974 #5,885
2010 modern 976 #5,984
2011 modern 970 #5,958
2012 modern 943 #6,019
2013 modern 942 #6,125
2014 modern 949 #6,129
2015 modern 928 #6,188
2016 modern 922 #6,187

Geography

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Where Dewhirsts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bradford and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, East Riding of Yorkshire, Bradford and Calderdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 018 Kirklees
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 044 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Bradford 028 Bradford
4 Bradford 019 Bradford
5 Calderdale 027 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dewhirst

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dewhirst

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Dewhirst surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dewhirst household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dewhirst is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dewhirst is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dewhirst

The surname Dewhirst originates from the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be a locational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a place where dew or morning mist frequently settled. The earliest recorded spelling of the surname appears to be "de Dewherst" in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1325, where a John de Dewhirst is mentioned. This suggests the name was well-established in the Wakefield area of Yorkshire by the early 14th century. It is also believed that the Dewhirst family may have held lands or property in the area, as locational surnames were often adopted by those who owned or resided on a particular estate or location.

Over the centuries, various spellings of the name have emerged, including Dewhurst, Dewherst, and Dewherste. These variations were common during a time when spelling conventions were not standardized, and names were often recorded phonetically by clerks and scribes.

Notable individuals with the surname Dewhirst throughout history include:

1. Richard Dewhirst (c. 1580-1647), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Alford in Lincolnshire. 2. John Dewhirst (1784-1861), a prominent English industrialist and manufacturer from Huddersfield, who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Yorkshire. 3. William Dewhirst (1834-1919), a British engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the modern bicycle and his patents related to bicycle design. 4. Edith Dewhirst (1889-1973), an English writer and children's author, known for her books set in the Yorkshire Dales and her depictions of rural life. 5. Geoffrey Dewhirst (1921-2008), a British artist and painter, renowned for his landscape paintings and portrayals of the English countryside.

While the surname Dewhirst is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the Yorkshire region, with various individuals bearing the name leaving their mark across different fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dewhirst families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dewhirst 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,142 Dewhirsts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.31x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,142 8.31x
Lancashire 251 1.52x
Middlesex 7 0.05x
Lincolnshire 5 0.23x
Suffolk 5 0.30x
Durham 4 0.10x
Kent 2 0.04x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Sussex 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 153 Dewhirsts recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.28x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Bradford 153 71.28x
Bradford 116 34.86x
Halifax 83 41.13x
Manningham 65 38.38x
Sowerby In Halifax 60 133.48x
Northowram 52 53.95x
Wadsworth 46 205.63x
Southowram 37 88.18x
Shipley 35 49.07x
Bowling 28 20.57x
Layton With Warbreck 25 41.39x
Castleton 23 13.99x
Cleckheaton 22 43.45x
Newchurch 21 15.60x
Batley 20 15.31x
Todmorden Walsden 19 43.08x
Hulme 17 4.95x
Idle 17 26.67x
Keighley 17 11.60x
Stansfield 17 33.61x
Hipperholme Cum 16 26.49x
Thornhill 16 39.89x
Langfield 15 62.37x
Ovenden 15 24.52x
Erringden 14 157.66x
Blatchinworth 13 34.69x
Habergham Eaves 13 8.64x
Heptonstall 13 67.39x
Leeds 13 1.67x
Bolton In Bradford 12 136.21x
Dewsbury 12 8.51x
Addingham 11 107.11x
Bingley 11 12.57x
Spotland 11 6.01x
Wardleworth 11 11.69x
Elland Cum Greetland 10 16.15x
Rawdon 10 61.77x
Shelf 10 76.16x
Hoyland Nether 9 26.70x
Midgley 9 61.43x
Padiham 9 22.63x
Gomersal 8 12.47x
Hapton 8 77.75x
Heaton 8 115.27x
Norland 8 84.84x
South Kirkby 8 265.78x
Soyland 8 48.51x
Thornton In Bradford 8 17.48x
Wortley In Bramley 8 7.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 1.95x
Chorley 7 7.58x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 2.68x
Haworth 7 21.43x
Armley 6 9.90x
Clayton 6 17.84x
Cumberworth 6 85.71x
Hartshead 6 97.40x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 6.78x
Holy Trinity 6 1.81x
Islington London 6 0.45x
Skircoat 6 11.07x
Yeadon 6 19.33x
Barley With Wheatley 5 335.57x
Bramley In Bramley 5 9.50x
Huddersfield 5 2.50x
Kildwick 5 39.94x
North Bierley 5 6.74x
Scarborough 5 4.00x
Wilsden 5 35.41x
Almondbury 4 6.02x
Birkdale 4 9.60x
Butterworth 4 9.98x
Gateshead 4 1.29x
Ipswich St Clement 4 9.31x
Moss Side 4 4.62x
Rotherham 4 5.16x
Skipton 4 9.25x
St Botolph Lincoln 4 25.09x
Woolley 4 140.35x
Halliwell 3 5.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 86
William 76
James 54
Thomas 50
George 27
Charles 23
Joseph 22
Fred 21
Arthur 17
Herbert 16
Richard 15
Henry 14
Robert 13
Harry 12
Luke 10
Wm. 10
Alfred 9
Walter 9
Ernest 8
Albert 7
Frank 7
Isaac 7
Jonas 6
Samuel 6
Tom 6
Benjamin 5
Frederick 5
Edward 4
Willie 4
David 3
Fred. 3
Hartley 3
Jacob 3
Leonard 3
Percy 3
Sam 3
Abel 2
Abraham 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Dick 2
Eli 2
Jas. 2
Joe 2
Joe. 2
Lewis 2
Lionel 2
Mitchell 2
Robt. 2
Smith 2

FAQ

Dewhirst surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dewhirst surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,428 people were recorded with the Dewhirst surname. That placed it at #2,917 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dewhirst surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 922 in 2016. That gives Dewhirst a modern rank of #6,187.

What does the Dewhirst surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone who resided near a valley with a spring or stream.

What does the Dewhirst map show?

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