NameCensus.

UK surname

Dews

Derived from the Middle English word "dew," referring to someone who lived near a wet or marshy area.

In the 1881 census there were 697 people recorded with the Dews surname, ranking it #5,202 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 708, ranked #7,645, down from #5,202 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Halifax and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dews is 869 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.6%.

1881 census count

697

Ranked #5,202

Modern count

708

2016, ranked #7,645

Peak year

1911

869 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dews had 697 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,202 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 708 in 2016, ranked #7,645.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 869 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dews surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dews surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dews 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 406 #5,963
1861 historical 423 #6,073
1881 historical 697 #5,202
1891 historical 793 #5,071
1901 historical 829 #5,463
1911 historical 869 #5,118
1997 modern 809 #6,483
1998 modern 805 #6,719
1999 modern 801 #6,782
2000 modern 799 #6,783
2001 modern 773 #6,827
2002 modern 797 #6,794
2003 modern 786 #6,744
2004 modern 770 #6,880
2005 modern 763 #6,859
2006 modern 730 #7,132
2007 modern 737 #7,158
2008 modern 743 #7,152
2009 modern 747 #7,280
2010 modern 752 #7,367
2011 modern 729 #7,469
2012 modern 712 #7,509
2013 modern 730 #7,492
2014 modern 729 #7,543
2015 modern 721 #7,555
2016 modern 708 #7,645

Geography

Back to top

Where Dews' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Halifax, Batley, Wakefield and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire and Wakefield. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
2 Wakefield 021 Wakefield
3 Wakefield 037 Wakefield
4 Wakefield 029 Wakefield
5 Wakefield 035 Wakefield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dews

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dews

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

Dews 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

Dews falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dews

The surname Dews has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "deaw," meaning dew, which likely referred to someone who lived near a dewy area or a place where dew frequently formed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dews appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where it is listed as "Robertus de Deus." This spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a compilation of records commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is a mention of the place name "Deudesfel," which may have been the origin of some Dews surnames. This place name likely referred to a dewy field or meadow.

The surname Dews has also been associated with certain place names, such as Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, which was formerly known as "Deuesbyr" in the 13th century. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dews was John Dews, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, around 1460. Another notable figure was William Dews, a merchant from London who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Thomas Dews, a landowner and farmer from Gloucestershire, England, who was born in 1620 and died in 1698.

During the 18th century, a prominent individual with the surname Dews was Robert Dews, a scholar and clergyman from Oxford, England. He was born in 1725 and died in 1798.

In the 19th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname Dews was Sir John Dews, a British diplomat and politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 1832 to 1847. He was born in 1785 and died in 1863.

Throughout its history, the surname Dews has been primarily concentrated in England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Gloucestershire, reflecting its English origins and early recorded presence in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dews families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dews 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 485 Dews' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.25x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 485 7.25x
Staffordshire 52 2.28x
Warwickshire 28 1.64x
Lancashire 26 0.32x
Worcestershire 26 2.95x
Middlesex 17 0.25x
Durham 14 0.70x
Leicestershire 10 1.34x
Lincolnshire 7 0.65x
Kent 5 0.22x
Surrey 4 0.12x
Bedfordshire 3 0.86x
Royal Navy 3 3.73x
Glamorgan 2 0.17x
Hampshire 2 0.14x
Monmouthshire 2 0.41x
Northumberland 2 0.20x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.35x
Cumberland 1 0.17x
Dorset 1 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ossett Cum Gawthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 207 Dews' recorded in 1881 and an index of 866.47x.

Place Total Index
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 207 866.47x
Soothill 40 165.56x
Horbury 35 299.15x
Sedgley 28 33.09x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 25 306.75x
Almondbury 20 61.84x
Dewsbury 19 27.70x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 17 54.70x
Wolverhampton 17 9.70x
Birmingham 15 2.64x
Leeds 15 3.97x
Dudley 12 11.20x
Northowram 12 25.59x
Wakefield 12 23.37x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 11 45.29x
Batley 11 17.30x
Leicester St Leonard 10 141.24x
Mirfield 8 21.79x
Tanfield 8 33.50x
Belbroughton 7 153.17x
Churwell 7 153.51x
New Sleaford 7 101.16x
Thornhill 7 35.86x
Bishops Itchington 6 365.85x
Westhoughton 6 28.06x
Westminster St John 6 7.30x
Hunslet 5 4.79x
Kensington London 5 1.33x
Oldham 5 1.93x
Sandal Magna 5 50.56x
Spotland 5 5.61x
Westoe 5 4.39x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.25x
Hawn 4 242.42x
Nuneaton 4 20.28x
Streatham 4 7.99x
Bolton On Dearne 3 129.31x
Harborne 3 4.11x
Moreton Morrell 3 500.00x
Royal Navy 3 4.36x
South Crosland 3 42.61x
Southcoates 3 8.08x
Sutton 3 441.18x
Thorner 3 138.25x
Tipton 3 4.30x
Wolverley 3 38.76x
Blackburn 2 0.94x
Dewsbury Ossett Cum 2 136.99x
Drypool 2 19.53x
Gorton 2 2.66x
Guiseley 2 23.34x
Halifax 2 2.04x
Huddersfield 2 2.05x
Hulme 2 1.20x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 1.77x
Millbrook 2 5.74x
Mynyddyslwyn 2 10.39x
Shoreditch London 2 0.68x
Tottenham 2 1.86x
Winton 2 1000.00x
Wuerdle Wardle 2 8.23x
Darlington 1 1.29x
Dorchester St Peter 1 31.15x
Goole 1 8.92x
Greenwich 1 0.93x
Hipperholme Cum 1 3.40x
Kirk Deighton 1 121.95x
Llandefeilog 1 37.59x
Lytham 1 8.18x
Mile End Old Town London 1 0.70x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 7.57x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.42x
Rishworth 1 38.91x
Shitlington 1 14.45x
St Cuthbert W O 1 3.53x
St George Bloomsbury 1 2.58x
Toxteth Park 1 0.37x
Wallsend 1 3.14x
West Bromwich 1 0.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 38
William 30
Joseph 23
George 21
Thomas 20
James 18
Arthur 10
Henry 10
Albert 9
Frank 9
Edward 6
Harry 6
Charles 5
Joe 5
Joshua 5
Nathan 5
Samuel 5
David 4
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Walter 4
Daniel 3
Philip 3
Reuben 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Enock 2
Ezra 2
Tom 2
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Ben 1
Ben. 1
Bennet 1
Bernard 1
Edmund 1
Edwards 1
Enoch 1
Erastus 1
Ernest 1
Ethelred 1
Gains 1
Geo. 1
Herman 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Johena 1
Johnathan 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dews surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dews surname in 1881?

In 1881, 697 people were recorded with the Dews surname. That placed it at #5,202 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dews surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 708 in 2016. That gives Dews a modern rank of #7,645.

What does the Dews surname mean?

Derived from the Middle English word "dew," referring to someone who lived near a wet or marshy area.

What does the Dews map show?

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