NameCensus.

UK surname

Diack

A surname of French origin meaning shepherd or keeper of sheep.

In the 1881 census there were 318 people recorded with the Diack surname, ranking it #9,342 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 392, ranked #12,052, down from #9,342 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cluny, Kemnay and Chapel of Garioch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cromar and Kildrummy, Durno-Chapel of Garioch and Fyvie-Rothie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Diack is 410 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.3%.

1881 census count

318

Ranked #9,342

Modern count

392

2016, ranked #12,052

Peak year

2009

410 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Diack had 318 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,342 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016, ranked #12,052.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 372 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Diack surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Diack surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Diack 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 206 #10,183
1861 historical 259 #9,561
1881 historical 318 #9,342
1891 historical 357 #9,678
1901 historical 372 #9,972
1911 historical 20 #31,288
1997 modern 359 #11,956
1998 modern 366 #12,148
1999 modern 388 #11,696
2000 modern 389 #11,645
2001 modern 373 #11,830
2002 modern 368 #12,168
2003 modern 365 #12,038
2004 modern 363 #12,131
2005 modern 371 #11,842
2006 modern 374 #11,822
2007 modern 396 #11,459
2008 modern 401 #11,441
2009 modern 410 #11,503
2010 modern 402 #11,949
2011 modern 403 #11,806
2012 modern 388 #11,996
2013 modern 384 #12,295
2014 modern 389 #12,258
2015 modern 388 #12,188
2016 modern 392 #12,052

Geography

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Where Diacks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cluny, Kemnay, Chapel of Garioch, Edinburgh and Rayne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cromar and Kildrummy, Durno-Chapel of Garioch, Fyvie-Rothie, The Calders and Southend-on-Sea. 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 Cluny Aberdeen
2 Kemnay Aberdeen
3 Chapel of Garioch Aberdeen
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Rayne Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cromar and Kildrummy Aberdeenshire
2 Durno-Chapel of Garioch Aberdeenshire
3 Fyvie-Rothie Aberdeenshire
4 The Calders City of Edinburgh
5 Southend-on-Sea 013 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Diack

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Diack

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Diack surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Diack household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Diack is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Diack is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Diack falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Diack

The surname Diack has its origins in Scotland, with records indicating its presence in the region as early as the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dìog," which means "a draught" or "a drink." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who worked in the brewing or alcohol trade.

Some of the earliest documented references to the Diack surname can be found in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the late 15th century. These rolls were financial records maintained by the Scottish government and often contained lists of individuals and their respective professions or occupations.

One notable mention of the Diack name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of 1488, where a person named John Diak is recorded as being a tenant farmer in the county of Fife. This entry provides valuable insight into the geographic distribution of the name during that era and its association with agricultural pursuits.

By the 16th century, variations in the spelling of the surname began to emerge, with records showing instances of Diak, Diacke, and Diack. This was a common occurrence in Scotland during that period, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the Diack surname was David Diack, who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1590. He was a prominent merchant and later served as a baillie (a municipal officer) in the city of Aberdeen.

In the 17th century, the Diack name appeared in various parish records across Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Fife. One notable figure from this period was Robert Diack, born in Montrose, Scotland, in 1635. He was a renowned scholar and minister of the Church of Scotland.

Another significant individual with the Diack surname was John Diack, born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1745. He was a successful shipbuilder and merchant, contributing greatly to the local economy and maritime industry of Dundee.

In the 19th century, the Diack surname gained further recognition with the birth of Alexander Diack in Arbroath, Scotland, in 1810. He was a skilled engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of textile machinery and other industrial innovations.

As the Diack family spread across Scotland and beyond, the surname took on various spellings, such as Diak, Dieck, and Dyack. However, the Diack spelling remained the most prominent and widely used variation throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Diack families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Diack 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 262 Diacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.48x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 262 91.48x
Lanarkshire 12 1.20x
Angus 8 2.79x
Midlothian 7 1.69x
Durham 6 0.65x
Middlesex 6 0.19x
Banffshire 4 6.24x
Cheshire 3 0.44x
Kincardineshire 2 5.31x
Lancashire 2 0.05x
Sussex 2 0.38x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.80x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.51x
Kent 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 78 Diacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 145.58x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 78 145.58x
Aberdeen Old Machar 34 56.87x
Kemnay 30 1724.14x
Keithhall 14 1489.36x
Chapel Of Garioch 13 637.25x
Govan 12 4.85x
Rayne 12 882.35x
Cluny 9 652.17x
Dundee 8 7.48x
Skene 8 421.05x
Auchindoir Kearn 7 434.78x
Old Deer 7 128.91x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 3.60x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 15.06x
Kintore 6 240.96x
Turriff 6 129.87x
Forgue 5 194.55x
Peterculter 5 247.52x
Tyrie 5 139.28x
Hammersmith London 4 5.25x
King Edward 4 121.21x
Meldrum 3 124.48x
Oyne 3 294.12x
Stockport Etchells 3 206.90x
Banchory Ternan 2 61.35x
Fyvie 2 42.83x
Hove 2 8.74x
Inverurie 2 61.73x
Keith 2 29.24x
Kirkdale 2 3.24x
Monquhitter 2 67.57x
New Machar 2 124.22x
Alford 1 64.10x
Auchterless 1 44.05x
Banff 1 17.95x
Bangor 1 8.29x
Cairney 1 59.88x
Dover Castle 1 129.87x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 11.63x
Insch 1 61.35x
Islington London 1 0.33x
New Deer 1 19.31x
Ordiquhill 1 131.58x
Paddington London 1 0.88x
St Marythe Great 1 156.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 2
Agnes 1
Barbra 1
Christian 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Hellen 1
Margt.Ann 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1
Willianan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 3
James 2
Alexr. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Diack households.

FAQ

Diack surname: questions and answers

How common was the Diack surname in 1881?

In 1881, 318 people were recorded with the Diack surname. That placed it at #9,342 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Diack surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 392 in 2016. That gives Diack a modern rank of #12,052.

What does the Diack surname mean?

A surname of French origin meaning shepherd or keeper of sheep.

What does the Diack map show?

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