NameCensus.

UK surname

Dial

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of sundials or clocks.

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Dial surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, North Tyneside and Richmond upon Thames.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dial is 159 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 120.6%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

2010

159 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dial had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 86 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dial surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dial surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dial 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 82 #23,321
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 48 #30,447
1901 historical 55 #28,064
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 131 #23,343
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 153 #22,996
2012 modern 148 #23,457
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Dials are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, North Tyneside, Richmond upon Thames, County Durham and Merton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 007 Gateshead
2 North Tyneside 023 North Tyneside
3 Richmond upon Thames 013 Richmond upon Thames
4 County Durham 003 County Durham
5 Merton 023 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dial

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dial

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dial surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dial household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Dial is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dial is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dial 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 Dial is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dial, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dial

The surname Dial has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English word "dæl," which means "valley" or "dell." The name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived in or near a valley or dell.

In early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Dele, Delle, and Delle, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Dela."

The Dial surname is particularly associated with the county of Derbyshire, where it has a long-standing presence. One notable example is John Dial, born in 1622 in Derbyshire, who served as a soldier in the English Civil War.

As the surname spread across England, it took on different variations and spellings. In some areas, it was written as "Dyall" or "Dyell," possibly influenced by the word "dial," which refers to the face of a clock or sundial.

In the 16th century, a family of Dials established themselves in the city of Coventry, where they were prominent merchants and landowners. William Dial, born in 1545, was a successful wool trader and served as mayor of Coventry in 1589.

Another notable figure bearing the Dial surname was Sir Thomas Dial, born in 1660 in Somerset. He was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow in London.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dial name also gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Jonathan Dial, who was born in 1675 in Virginia and later settled in North Carolina.

In the literary world, the surname is associated with novelist and playwright Reginald Dial, born in 1892 in Liverpool. His works, such as "The Constant Nymph" and "The Green Hat," were critically acclaimed and adapted for the stage and screen.

The Dial surname has a rich history, with its origins rooted in the English countryside and its bearers leaving their mark across various fields, from military service and architecture to literature and trade.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dial families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dial 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. Durham leads with 31 Dials recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.23x.

County Total Index
Durham 31 17.23x
Kent 7 3.39x
Staffordshire 6 2.94x
Warwickshire 6 3.93x
Surrey 4 1.36x
Cumberland 3 5.76x
Yorkshire 2 0.33x
Caithness 1 12.08x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.61x
Lancashire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 11 Dials recorded in 1881 and an index of 107.84x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 11 107.84x
Chester Le Street 7 507.25x
Burton Upon Trent 4 83.68x
Gillingham 4 94.12x
Bedworth 3 270.27x
Cowden 3 2307.69x
Ryhope 3 240.00x
Shadforth 3 857.14x
Astley 2 4000.00x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 2 2000.00x
Camberwell 2 5.18x
Gateshead 2 14.85x
Lambeth 2 3.79x
Lanchester 2 606.06x
Tanfield 2 93.46x
Aspatria 1 200.00x
Batley 1 17.57x
Birmingham 1 1.97x
Crossgate 1 126.58x
Hipperholme Cum 1 38.02x
Rowley Regis 1 17.57x
Salford 1 4.74x
Trentham 1 57.47x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 74.63x
Wick 1 37.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Hannah 5
Jane 4
Sarah 3
Margt. 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
Ellen 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Norah 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Michael 4
William 3
George 2
Joseph 2
Thos. 2
Abraham 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Caleb 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Richard 1
Wm. 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 Dial households.

FAQ

Dial surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dial surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Dial surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dial surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Dial a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Dial surname mean?

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of sundials or clocks.

What does the Dial map show?

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