NameCensus.

UK surname

Diaz

A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Diego, meaning "supplanter" or "replacing."

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Diaz surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,173, ranked #5,055, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Diaz is 1,173 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7720.0%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

1,173

2016, ranked #5,055

Peak year

2016

1,173 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Diaz had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,173 in 2016, ranked #5,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 35 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Diaz surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Diaz surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Diaz 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
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 19 #32,642
1901 historical 26 #31,152
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 449 #10,094
1998 modern 487 #9,794
1999 modern 529 #9,245
2000 modern 558 #8,841
2001 modern 539 #8,936
2002 modern 589 #8,561
2003 modern 600 #8,340
2004 modern 618 #8,164
2005 modern 629 #7,978
2006 modern 671 #7,615
2007 modern 710 #7,342
2008 modern 769 #6,964
2009 modern 861 #6,508
2010 modern 974 #5,996
2011 modern 956 #6,047
2012 modern 995 #5,760
2013 modern 1,090 #5,416
2014 modern 1,139 #5,242
2015 modern 1,143 #5,187
2016 modern 1,173 #5,055

Geography

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Where Diaz' 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 Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, West Dorset, Maldon and Neath Port Talbot. 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 Westminster 011 Westminster
2 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
3 West Dorset 010 West Dorset
4 Maldon 007 Maldon
5 Neath Port Talbot 015 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Diaz

These lists show first names that appear often with the Diaz 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 Diaz

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Diaz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Diaz 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Diaz is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Diaz 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

Diaz 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 Diaz 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
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Diaz

The surname Diaz originated in Spain and is of Spanish/Iberian origin. It derives from the personal name Dias, which was a medieval Spanish form of the Roman name Didacus. Dias or Diaz ultimately traces back to the Greek name Didakos, meaning "instructed" or "taught".

Diaz is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-ez" (meaning "son of") to the father's given name Dias. So Diaz essentially means "son of Dias". The surname first appeared in written records in the 11th century as a distinguishing name for people in Spain.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Ruy Diaz de Vivar (c.1026-1099), a Castilian knight better known as El Cid, who played a pivotal role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long period of Christian conquest of Moorish territories across the Iberian Peninsula. The "Song of My Cid" (c.1200) is an important early literary work that references El Cid.

Pedro Diaz (c.1546-1618) was a famous Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who taught at the prestigious University of Salamanca. Juan Diaz de Solis (c.1470-1516) was a celebrated Spanish navigator and explorer who led the first European expedition to explore the territory that is now Argentina and Uruguay.

In Portugal, Bartholomeu Diaz (c.1450-1500) was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa in 1488, then known as the Cape of Storms, but renamed the Cape of Good Hope by King John II. His voyage opened up an important trade route for Portugal.

Pedro Diaz Morante (1564-1636) was a Spanish poet and playwright who lived during the Golden Age of Spanish literature and whose poems were published in collections alongside works by Lope de Vega and Luis de Góngora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Diaz families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Diaz 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. Middlesex leads with 11 Diaz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.53x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 7.53x
Cheshire 1 3.10x
Lancashire 1 0.58x
Northumberland 1 4.60x
Sussex 1 4.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East London in Middlesex leads with 9 Diaz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 656.93x.

Place Total Index
St George In East London 9 656.93x
Willesden 2 144.93x
Battle 1 588.24x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 36.36x
Liscard 1 172.41x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 88.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Adelaid 1
Esther 1
Julia 1
Mary 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Remonia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Antonio 1
Carlos 1
George 1
Hyam 1
Isaac 1
Joaquin 1
Joseph 1
Soloman 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 Diaz households.

FAQ

Diaz surname: questions and answers

How common was the Diaz surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Diaz surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Diaz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,173 in 2016. That gives Diaz a modern rank of #5,055.

What does the Diaz surname mean?

A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Diego, meaning "supplanter" or "replacing."

What does the Diaz map show?

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