NameCensus.

UK surname

Dewing

A surname derived from a nickname for an expert dyer or cloth colorer.

In the 1881 census there were 322 people recorded with the Dewing surname, ranking it #9,262 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 558, ranked #9,187, up from #9,262 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cawston, London parishes and Briston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Redcar and Cleveland and Broadland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dewing is 597 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.3%.

1881 census count

322

Ranked #9,262

Modern count

558

2016, ranked #9,187

Peak year

1998

597 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dewing had 322 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,262 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 558 in 2016, ranked #9,187.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 561 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dewing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dewing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dewing 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 246 #8,891
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 322 #9,262
1891 historical 398 #8,910
1901 historical 462 #8,539
1911 historical 561 #7,180
1997 modern 580 #8,342
1998 modern 597 #8,422
1999 modern 591 #8,530
2000 modern 586 #8,542
2001 modern 565 #8,627
2002 modern 588 #8,565
2003 modern 566 #8,652
2004 modern 567 #8,672
2005 modern 550 #8,784
2006 modern 539 #8,954
2007 modern 549 #8,916
2008 modern 549 #8,978
2009 modern 551 #9,155
2010 modern 571 #9,096
2011 modern 577 #8,942
2012 modern 562 #9,037
2013 modern 571 #9,049
2014 modern 577 #9,047
2015 modern 573 #9,028
2016 modern 558 #9,187

Geography

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Where Dewings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cawston, London parishes, Briston, Walsingham, Great and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Redcar and Cleveland and Broadland. 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 Cawston Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Briston Norfolk
4 Walsingham, Great Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 009 North Norfolk
2 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Broadland 002 Broadland
4 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Broadland 005 Broadland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dewing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dewing

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

Dewing is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dewing falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dewing

The surname DEWING is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "deaw" meaning "dew." It likely originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a particularly dewy area or meadow.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Dewingis," referring to a family living in Dewings, now known as the village of Dewingshurst in Kent. This early spelling suggests the name may have originally referred to someone from that specific place.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name is Roger de Dewyngg, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1195. Another early example is William de Deuwynge, recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire in 1214.

In the 13th century, the name took on various spellings such as Dewyng, Dewynge, and Dewing. Richard Dewynge, from Buckinghamshire, is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. A later example is John Dewing, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524.

Notable historical figures bearing the DEWING surname include Sir Edward Dewing (1570-1630), an English politician who served as High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex. Another is Thomas Dewing (1851-1938), an American painter renowned for his tonalist works and portraits of society women.

Other prominent individuals include Edmund Dewing (1855-1936), an American jurist and law professor at Columbia University, and Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938), an American lawyer and legislator who served as a US Representative from Maryland.

Lastly, Cecil Willet Dewing (1893-1974) was a British architect best known for his work on the Regent Street Quadrant development in London in the late 1920s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dewing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dewing 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. Norfolk leads with 196 Dewings recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.97x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 196 40.97x
Middlesex 39 1.25x
Yorkshire 23 0.75x
Kent 10 0.94x
Essex 8 1.30x
Surrey 7 0.46x
Durham 6 0.65x
Lancashire 6 0.16x
Herefordshire 5 3.92x
Suffolk 4 1.06x
Sussex 4 0.76x
Northumberland 3 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.01x
Devon 2 0.31x
Pembrokeshire 2 2.02x
Dorset 1 0.49x
Warwickshire 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. Cawston in Norfolk leads with 40 Dewings recorded in 1881 and an index of 3418.80x.

Place Total Index
Cawston 40 3418.80x
Briston 23 2527.47x
Great Walsingham 19 3958.33x
Norwich St Clement 17 306.31x
Fakenham 9 381.36x
Guisbrough 9 133.53x
Holme Hale 9 2045.45x
Norwich St James 8 213.33x
West Ham 7 5.16x
Gateshead 6 8.66x
Hackney London 6 3.44x
Islington London 6 1.99x
Kelling 6 2608.70x
Lewisham 6 10.60x
Brightside Bierlow 5 8.27x
Clerkenwell London 5 6.81x
East Ruston 5 704.23x
Kinnersley 5 1515.15x
St Pancras London 5 2.00x
Wells Next Sea 5 179.21x
Aylsham 4 140.35x
Bury St Edmunds St James 4 39.53x
East Rudham 4 476.19x
Great Yarmouth 4 10.09x
Heigham 4 15.58x
Hornsey 4 10.17x
Langford 4 6666.67x
Rawmarsh 4 36.73x
Reepham With Kerdiston 4 714.29x
Withington 4 33.64x
Ashwellthorpe 3 769.23x
Burnham Overy 3 454.55x
Burnham Westgate 3 291.26x
Camberwell 3 1.51x
Gillingham 3 13.70x
Hastings St Leonards 3 38.91x
Kensington London 3 1.73x
Norwich St Peter Hungate 3 731.71x
Southcoates 3 17.52x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 3 68.18x
Exeter Heavitree 2 41.41x
Gaywood 2 232.56x
Lambeth 2 0.74x
Norwich St George Tombland 2 238.10x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 2 64.52x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 83.33x
Rotherhithe 2 5.20x
Salhouse 2 298.51x
Tottenham 2 4.04x
Wardleworth 2 9.48x
Barnsley 1 3.14x
Barton Bendish 1 212.77x
Barwick 1 1666.67x
Brighton 1 0.94x
Chelsea London 1 1.07x
Cheriton 1 23.09x
Fillongley 1 89.29x
Fulham London 1 2.22x
Hampstead London 1 2.06x
Little Walsingham 1 92.59x
Longhurst 1 111.11x
Narborough 1 217.39x
Nevern 1 71.43x
North Elmham 1 86.21x
North Shields 1 10.82x
Norwich St Lawrence 1 153.85x
Paddington London 1 0.87x
Pembroke St Mary 1 7.86x
Sixpenny Handley 1 100.00x
Soham 1 23.58x
St Benedict Cambridge 1 90.09x
St Marylebone London 1 0.60x
Stapleford Abbots 1 192.31x
Swanton Novers 1 333.33x
Taverham 1 454.55x
Thornton In Bradford 1 9.75x
Tynemouth 1 4.03x
Wereham 1 151.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 28
George 10
John 10
Edward 9
Arthur 8
James 7
Robert 7
Thomas 7
Albert 6
Charles 6
Herbert 4
Martin 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Henry 3
Horace 3
Richard 3
Sidney 3
Alfred 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Jabez 2
Samuel 2
Arther 1
Augustine 1
Augustus 1
Carson 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Fred.Geo. 1
Horac 1
Isaac 1
J.R. 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
R.S. 1
Rich. 1
Robt.Hy. 1
Robt.W. 1
Seymore 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Toms. 1
W.R. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dewing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dewing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 322 people were recorded with the Dewing surname. That placed it at #9,262 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dewing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 558 in 2016. That gives Dewing a modern rank of #9,187.

What does the Dewing surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for an expert dyer or cloth colorer.

What does the Dewing map show?

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