NameCensus.

UK surname

Diamond

A surname referring to a jeweler, diamond cutter, or one who had diamonds on their coat of arms.

In the 1881 census there were 1,389 people recorded with the Diamond surname, ranking it #2,975 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,930, ranked #1,718, up from #2,975 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, IZ11 and Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Diamond is 3,943 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 182.9%.

1881 census count

1,389

Ranked #2,975

Modern count

3,930

2016, ranked #1,718

Peak year

2014

3,943 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Diamond had 1,389 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,975 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,930 in 2016, ranked #1,718.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,068 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Diamond surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Diamond surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Diamond 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 622 #4,153
1861 historical 792 #3,479
1881 historical 1,389 #2,975
1891 historical 1,614 #2,765
1901 historical 2,068 #2,589
1911 historical 1,739 #2,820
1997 modern 3,410 #1,897
1998 modern 3,542 #1,904
1999 modern 3,583 #1,897
2000 modern 3,554 #1,906
2001 modern 3,468 #1,911
2002 modern 3,547 #1,915
2003 modern 3,492 #1,895
2004 modern 3,514 #1,884
2005 modern 3,487 #1,869
2006 modern 3,477 #1,874
2007 modern 3,558 #1,854
2008 modern 3,622 #1,828
2009 modern 3,705 #1,832
2010 modern 3,884 #1,788
2011 modern 3,820 #1,796
2012 modern 3,806 #1,766
2013 modern 3,906 #1,751
2014 modern 3,943 #1,744
2015 modern 3,942 #1,727
2016 modern 3,930 #1,718

Geography

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Where Diamonds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, IZ11, Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central, Westminster and Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 014 Swansea
2 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
3 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
4 Westminster 011 Westminster
5 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Diamond

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Diamond

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Diamond, 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 Diamond surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Diamond 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Diamond 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

Diamond is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Diamond 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 Diamond 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Diamond

The surname Diamond is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "diamant," which comes from the ancient Greek "adamas," meaning "invincible." The name first appeared in English records around the 13th century.

Diamond is an occupational surname, initially given to those who worked with diamonds or other precious gemstones. In medieval times, diamond workers were highly skilled artisans responsible for cutting, polishing, and setting diamonds into jewelry and other ornaments for the nobility and wealthy classes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Diamond can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated around 1273, which mentions a Robert le Diamaunt. This indicates that the name was already in use by the latter half of the 13th century.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Diamond was John Diamond, a merchant and alderman of London, who served as the city's Mayor in 1379. He was a prominent figure in the wool trade and played a significant role in the governance of the city during that period.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a Richard Diamond. This suggests that the surname had spread throughout different regions of England by that time.

During the 16th century, a famous bearer of the surname was John Diamond, an English poet and writer born in 1559. He is best known for his work "The Conspiracie of Scripture and Truth," published in 1593.

In the 17th century, Sir William Diamond, born in 1611, was a notable English soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Ireland from 1670 to 1672. He played a crucial role in suppressing the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

In the 18th century, Theodor Diamond, born in 1733, was a prominent German-English painter and engraver. He was known for his landscape paintings and etchings, which captured the beauty of the English countryside.

The surname Diamond has also been associated with various place names, such as Diamond Hill in Bristol, England, and Diamond Valley in South Africa, further reflecting its historical significance and geographic spread.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Diamond families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Diamond 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. Lanarkshire leads with 263 Diamonds recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.99x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 263 5.99x
Lancashire 162 1.01x
Middlesex 134 0.99x
Surrey 69 1.04x
Kent 68 1.47x
Glamorgan 61 2.58x
Yorkshire 61 0.45x
Devon 48 1.70x
Ayrshire 44 4.33x
Durham 44 1.09x
Somerset 38 1.74x
Cumberland 34 2.91x
Northumberland 34 1.68x
Cheshire 33 1.10x
Gloucestershire 32 1.20x
Hampshire 29 1.04x
Wigtownshire 27 14.98x
Renfrewshire 25 2.38x
Angus 23 1.83x
Essex 18 0.67x
Dunbartonshire 15 4.11x
Herefordshire 13 2.33x
Staffordshire 11 0.24x
Warwickshire 10 0.29x
Cornwall 9 0.59x
Stirlingshire 9 1.80x
Sussex 8 0.35x
Channel Islands 6 1.49x
Dorset 6 0.67x
Midlothian 6 0.33x
Monmouthshire 6 0.61x
Norfolk 5 0.24x
Northamptonshire 5 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.27x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.16x
Leicestershire 4 0.27x
Derbyshire 3 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 1.53x
Lincolnshire 3 0.14x
Ross-shire 2 0.54x
Shropshire 2 0.17x
Berwickshire 1 0.61x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.12x
Fife 1 0.12x
Hertfordshire 1 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.37x
Perthshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.62x
Suffolk 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 72 Diamonds recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.23x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 72 9.23x
Govan 48 4.42x
Manchester 43 5.93x
Old Monkland 32 18.36x
Barony 29 2.61x
Lambeth 25 2.11x
Gorbals 24 92.06x
Hackney London 21 2.76x
Heworth 18 22.61x
Liverpool 17 1.74x
New Monkland 16 12.33x
Dalziel 15 31.75x
Kensington London 15 1.99x
Hampstead London 14 6.62x
Birkenhead 13 5.44x
Everton 13 2.53x
Liff Benvie 13 6.81x
Toxteth Park 13 2.38x
West Derby 13 2.76x
Old Luce 12 105.45x
Spitalfields London 12 11.75x
Abbey 11 6.85x
Chelsea London 11 2.69x
Llandaff 11 13.98x
Michaelstone Super Avon 11 42.97x
Portsea 11 2.02x
Cambuslang 10 22.59x
Dundonald 10 26.69x
Gateshead 10 3.31x
Kirkdale 10 3.69x
Mile End Old Town London 10 3.46x
Penninghame 10 54.38x
Taunton St Mary 10 24.93x
Alva 9 37.67x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 7.03x
Dundee 9 1.92x
Membury 9 300.00x
Northam 9 43.69x
Ramsgate 9 11.90x
St Cuthbert W O 9 15.79x
Tadcaster West 9 84.51x
West Ham 9 1.52x
Brightside Bierlow 8 3.03x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 3.19x
Broughton In Salford 8 5.43x
Cambusnethan 8 8.20x
Hereford All Sts 8 31.36x
Hutton Rudby 8 199.01x
Islington London 8 0.61x
Kilbirnie 8 32.79x
North Shields 8 19.84x
Stockton On Tees 8 4.11x
Wellington 8 26.99x
West Monkton 8 165.98x
Westgate 8 6.39x
Willesborough 8 64.21x
Ayr 7 14.60x
Burnley 7 5.16x
Chiswick 7 9.43x
Folkestone 7 7.79x
Horton In Bradford 7 3.33x
Morpeth 7 29.46x
Port Glasgow 7 13.76x
St Giles In The Wood 7 166.27x
St Quivox 7 20.37x
Wigan 7 3.11x
Wooler 7 98.45x
Accrington 6 4.10x
Arlecdon 6 19.30x
Camberwell 6 0.69x
Chester St Michael 6 169.97x
Eglwysilan 6 14.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 3.43x
Kelvedon 6 84.03x
Lymm 6 27.54x
Newport 6 12.81x
Southwark Christchurch 6 9.43x
Stokenham 6 75.38x
Swansea Town 6 3.10x
Workington 6 8.96x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Diamond surname: questions and answers

How common was the Diamond surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,389 people were recorded with the Diamond surname. That placed it at #2,975 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Diamond surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,930 in 2016. That gives Diamond a modern rank of #1,718.

What does the Diamond surname mean?

A surname referring to a jeweler, diamond cutter, or one who had diamonds on their coat of arms.

What does the Diamond map show?

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