NameCensus.

UK surname

Dibben

An English habitational name from a place called Dybden or Dibden.

In the 1881 census there were 512 people recorded with the Dibben surname, ranking it #6,654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 552, ranked #9,254, down from #6,654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Poole St James and Fontnell Magna. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, New Forest and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dibben is 644 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.8%.

1881 census count

512

Ranked #6,654

Modern count

552

2016, ranked #9,254

Peak year

1999

644 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dibben had 512 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 552 in 2016, ranked #9,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 623 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dibben surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dibben surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dibben 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 325 #7,157
1861 historical 320 #7,960
1881 historical 512 #6,654
1891 historical 563 #6,744
1901 historical 583 #7,232
1911 historical 623 #6,640
1997 modern 626 #7,904
1998 modern 639 #8,006
1999 modern 644 #8,021
2000 modern 639 #8,042
2001 modern 630 #7,972
2002 modern 609 #8,368
2003 modern 587 #8,461
2004 modern 586 #8,487
2005 modern 572 #8,559
2006 modern 587 #8,420
2007 modern 594 #8,418
2008 modern 584 #8,591
2009 modern 582 #8,784
2010 modern 593 #8,862
2011 modern 574 #8,976
2012 modern 569 #8,942
2013 modern 566 #9,109
2014 modern 559 #9,268
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 552 #9,254

Geography

Back to top

Where Dibbens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Poole St James, Fontnell Magna and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, New Forest, Poole, North Dorset and West Dorset. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Fontnell Magna Dorset
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 010 Mendip
2 New Forest 007 New Forest
3 Poole 007 Poole
4 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
5 West Dorset 002 West Dorset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dibben

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dibben

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Dibben is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Dibben is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dibben falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dibben

The surname Dibben originated in England, with its earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variation of the Old English word "dibbe," which referred to a small pond or pool of water. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, given to someone who lived near or came from a place where such a body of water existed.

In some early records, the name appears spelled as "Dibben" or "Dibbyn," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that time period. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Dibben was recorded as being baptized in 1592.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dibben surname continued to be present in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex. In the early 19th century, a notable individual bearing this name was John Dibben (1778-1846), a renowned English landscape painter who specialized in depicting rural scenes and agricultural subjects.

The Dibben surname also has associations with certain place names in England. For instance, there is a hamlet called Dibden in the New Forest region of Hampshire, which may have been the original location from which some individuals with this surname derived their name. Additionally, there are records of individuals named Dibben living in the village of Parham, Suffolk, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Other notable individuals with the Dibben surname throughout history include:

1. William Dibben (1642-1704), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds. 2. Mary Dibben (1773-1854), a British novelist and writer who published several works of fiction and non-fiction during the early 19th century. 3. John Dibben (1822-1899), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. 4. Thomas Dibben (1856-1932), an English cricketer who played for the Suffolk County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. 5. Elizabeth Dibben (1878-1964), a British educator and women's rights activist who campaigned for equal educational opportunities for girls and women in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dibben families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dibben 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. Dorset leads with 183 Dibbens recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.72x.

County Total Index
Dorset 183 55.72x
Hampshire 98 9.55x
Middlesex 66 1.32x
Surrey 53 2.17x
Wiltshire 38 8.59x
Somerset 16 1.99x
Sussex 13 1.54x
Kent 11 0.64x
Lincolnshire 11 1.37x
Yorkshire 7 0.14x
Devon 4 0.38x
Leicestershire 3 0.54x
Northumberland 3 0.40x
Berkshire 2 0.53x
Essex 2 0.20x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 1.68x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 22 Dibbens recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.94x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 22 10.94x
South Stoneham 22 98.88x
Poole St James 19 153.97x
Pentridge 15 3750.00x
Bishopstone 14 663.51x
Kensington London 14 5.03x
Islington London 13 2.68x
Battersea 12 6.52x
Holdenhurst 12 44.61x
Southampton St Mary 12 18.60x
Chelsea London 11 7.29x
Stalbridge 11 352.56x
Sixpenny Handley 10 621.12x
Witley 10 581.40x
Moore Critchell 9 1428.57x
New Sleaford 9 175.44x
Alverstoke 8 21.55x
Hampreston 8 334.73x
Charlton Horethorne 7 853.66x
Fontmell Magna 7 560.00x
Martin 7 795.45x
Portisham 7 573.77x
Ringwood 7 106.71x
Up Cerne 7 5384.62x
Broadwater 6 31.01x
Camberwell 6 1.88x
Canterbury Holy Cross 6 363.64x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 6 225.56x
Fisherton Anger 6 73.26x
Milford 6 253.16x
Paddington London 6 3.26x
St Pancras London 6 1.49x
Wareham Holy Trinity 6 419.58x
Bermondsey 5 3.36x
Blandford Forum 5 77.16x
Bridport 5 73.96x
Compton Abbas 5 625.00x
Gussage All Sts 5 694.44x
Gussage St Michael 5 1136.36x
Shoreditch London 5 2.31x
West Parley 5 862.07x
Winterborne Stickland 5 609.76x
Ewell 4 77.67x
Fulham London 4 5.51x
Gate Fulford 4 34.54x
Lewisham 4 4.39x
Melbury Abbas 4 701.75x
Newington 4 2.16x
Portsmouth 4 16.93x
Shilling Okeford 4 412.37x
Tarrant Gunville 4 655.74x
Upway 4 320.00x
Wimbledon 4 14.61x
Yeovil 4 24.43x
Corfe Castle 3 98.68x
East Orchard 3 750.00x
Ilton 3 400.00x
Kingston On Thames 3 5.12x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 7.77x
North Hayling 3 652.17x
Penton Grafton 3 379.75x
Portland 3 16.99x
Tormoham 3 6.81x
Wimborne Minster 3 56.50x
Bradford 2 1.67x
Brighton 2 1.18x
Church Knowle 2 208.33x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.69x
Donhead St Mary 2 88.89x
Hove 2 5.40x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.48x
Maldon All Sts 2 102.04x
Melcombe Regis 2 14.70x
Quarrington 2 322.58x
Reading St Giles 2 5.43x
Ryde 2 9.08x
Salisbury St Martin 2 43.38x
Allington 1 34.13x
Hackney London 1 0.36x
Leicester St Mary 1 2.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 28
William 24
Charles 20
Henry 17
John 17
James 13
Arthur 12
Frank 11
Edwin 10
Harry 10
Alfred 9
Walter 8
Frederick 7
Joseph 5
Herbert 4
Isaac 4
Stephen 4
Thomas 4
Edward 3
Francis 3
Richard 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Samuel 2
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Ebenezar 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Edwyn 1
Evelyn 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Harvey 1
Horace 1
Issac 1
Jas. 1
Leonard 1
Lucy 1
Maurice 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Robt.W. 1
Ruben 1

FAQ

Dibben surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dibben surname in 1881?

In 1881, 512 people were recorded with the Dibben surname. That placed it at #6,654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dibben surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 552 in 2016. That gives Dibben a modern rank of #9,254.

What does the Dibben surname mean?

An English habitational name from a place called Dybden or Dibden.

What does the Dibben map show?

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