NameCensus.

UK surname

Dibden

In the 1881 census there were 295 people recorded with the Dibden surname, ranking it #9,842 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, down from #9,842 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bramshaw, Eling and Hewelsfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dibden is 404 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.7%.

1881 census count

295

Ranked #9,842

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

1911

404 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dibden had 295 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,842 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 404 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Dibden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dibden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dibden 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 173 #11,629
1861 historical 185 #12,799
1881 historical 295 #9,842
1891 historical 325 #10,426
1901 historical 325 #11,017
1911 historical 404 #9,221
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 386 #11,668
1999 modern 394 #11,579
2000 modern 383 #11,779
2001 modern 382 #11,606
2002 modern 387 #11,713
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 359 #12,222
2005 modern 353 #12,292
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 357 #12,413
2008 modern 362 #12,384
2009 modern 365 #12,558
2010 modern 364 #12,851
2011 modern 366 #12,667
2012 modern 356 #12,784
2013 modern 371 #12,597
2014 modern 369 #12,745
2015 modern 369 #12,627
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Dibdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bramshaw, Eling, Hewelsfield, Southampton St Mary and Wellow, West. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire and New Forest. 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 Bramshaw Hampshire
2 Eling Hampshire
3 Hewelsfield Monmouthshire
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Wellow, West Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 062 Wiltshire
2 New Forest 004 New Forest
3 New Forest 005 New Forest
4 New Forest 003 New Forest
5 New Forest 011 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dibden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dibden

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Dibden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dibden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dibden 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

Dibden is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dibden 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 Dibden 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 Dibden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Dibden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dibden 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. Hampshire leads with 140 Dibdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.03x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 140 23.03x
Wiltshire 60 22.88x
Gloucestershire 45 7.74x
Middlesex 17 0.57x
Kent 9 0.89x
Somerset 9 1.89x
Channel Islands 8 9.10x
Lancashire 5 0.14x
Surrey 5 0.35x
Sussex 3 0.60x
Essex 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 2.83x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bramshaw in Hampshire leads with 48 Dibdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6233.77x.

Place Total Index
Bramshaw 48 6233.77x
Hewelsfield 34 8292.68x
Eling 25 405.84x
Downton 23 670.55x
Southampton St Mary 16 41.86x
No Mans Land 14 10000.00x
Millbrook 13 84.91x
Portsea 9 7.55x
Southampton All Sts 9 86.29x
West Wellow 9 1525.42x
Minster In Sheppey 8 47.73x
South Newton 8 1159.42x
St Helier 8 27.96x
Congresbury 7 578.51x
Romsey Extra 7 193.91x
Freshwater 6 215.83x
St George Bloomsbury 6 35.27x
St Giles Cripplegate 6 152.28x
Lower Darwen 5 108.23x
Lydney 5 166.67x
Landford 4 1481.48x
Bristol 3 545.45x
St Briavels 3 400.00x
Clevedon 2 40.32x
Devizes St James 2 57.47x
Elsted 2 952.38x
Epsom 2 28.41x
St Maurice Winchester 2 79.05x
St Pancras London 2 0.84x
Breamore 1 175.44x
Clapham 1 2.70x
Croydon 1 1.25x
Dagenham 1 28.74x
Idle 1 7.34x
Margate St John Baptist 1 5.40x
Mortlake 1 15.53x
Newport 1 30.30x
Portsmouth 1 7.14x
Royal Navy 1 3.31x
Shoreditch London 1 0.78x
South Stoneham 1 7.58x
Southampton St Michael 1 50.00x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.91x
St Marylebone London 1 0.63x
Wadhurst 1 30.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 16
Charles 12
James 11
George 10
Henry 9
Thomas 9
John 8
Arthur 4
Edmund 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Andrew 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Lewis 2
Peter 2
Robt. 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Allen 1
Benjamin 1
Dan 1
David 1
Donald 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred.W. 1
Frederik 1
Fredk. 1
Gilbert 1
Harrey 1
Humphrey 1
Josiah 1
Levi 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Nathaniel 1
Noah 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Dibden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dibden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 295 people were recorded with the Dibden surname. That placed it at #9,842 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dibden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Dibden a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Dibden map show?

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