NameCensus.

UK surname

Dibley

A place name referring to a town or dwelling place.

In the 1881 census there were 406 people recorded with the Dibley surname, ranking it #7,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 447, ranked #10,857, down from #7,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newbury, Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Poole and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dibley is 609 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.1%.

1881 census count

406

Ranked #7,880

Modern count

447

2016, ranked #10,857

Peak year

1911

609 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dibley had 406 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 447 in 2016, ranked #10,857.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 609 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Dibley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dibley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dibley 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 269 #8,303
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 406 #7,880
1891 historical 448 #8,099
1901 historical 467 #8,471
1911 historical 609 #6,765
1997 modern 499 #9,315
1998 modern 520 #9,316
1999 modern 526 #9,295
2000 modern 519 #9,352
2001 modern 497 #9,516
2002 modern 507 #9,532
2003 modern 491 #9,612
2004 modern 486 #9,702
2005 modern 468 #9,909
2006 modern 461 #10,054
2007 modern 448 #10,365
2008 modern 454 #10,334
2009 modern 475 #10,242
2010 modern 484 #10,288
2011 modern 489 #10,125
2012 modern 451 #10,640
2013 modern 453 #10,774
2014 modern 452 #10,857
2015 modern 450 #10,819
2016 modern 447 #10,857

Geography

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Where Dibleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newbury, Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, London parishes, Lambeth and Sidlesham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Poole, Reading and Denbighshire. 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 Newbury Berkshire
2 Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Sidlesham Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 015 West Berkshire
2 Poole 015 Poole
3 Reading 009 Reading
4 Denbighshire 015 Denbighshire
5 West Berkshire 020 West Berkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dibley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dibley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Dibley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dibley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Dibley 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

Dibley 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

Dibley falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dibley 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dibley

The surname Dibley is an English locational name derived from the place name Dibley, which is a combination of the Old English words "dicc" meaning a dike or ditch, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name originated from a location near a ditch or meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Dibley dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Dibeleia" in Berkshire, England. This record indicates that the name was already established in the region at that time.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings such as Dibleigh, Diblie, and Dybley, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in those times. One notable example is John Dybley, a landowner mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1207.

In the 16th century, the name was often associated with the village of Dibley in Hampshire, which was recorded as "Dybley" in the Feet of Fines for Hampshire in 1543. This connection to the place name further solidified the surname's locational origin.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname was Thomas Dibley, born in 1585 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a merchant and landowner who played a prominent role in the local community.

Another notable figure was Sir Richard Dibley (1618-1693), a renowned military officer who served in the English Civil War and later became a member of Parliament for the borough of Southampton.

In the 18th century, the Dibley family gained prominence in the city of Bristol, where William Dibley (1724-1789) was a successful merchant and shipowner. His son, John Dibley (1760-1832), followed in his footsteps and expanded the family's business ventures.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Dibley was the Reverend Gervas Dibley (1837-1912), an influential clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Throughout history, the surname Dibley has been closely tied to its English origins, with many bearers tracing their ancestral roots to the rural areas of Hampshire and the surrounding counties.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dibley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dibley 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. Surrey leads with 96 Dibleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.97x.

County Total Index
Surrey 96 4.97x
Sussex 68 10.18x
Berkshire 56 18.84x
Kent 48 3.55x
Hampshire 32 3.94x
Middlesex 30 0.76x
Durham 25 2.12x
Dorset 21 8.08x
Yorkshire 10 0.25x
Cheshire 7 0.80x
Devon 5 0.61x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.80x
Essex 2 0.26x
Lancashire 2 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.37x
Norfolk 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newbury in Berkshire leads with 27 Dibleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 283.61x.

Place Total Index
Newbury 27 283.61x
Sidlesham 25 1937.98x
Lambeth 18 5.21x
Conside Knitsley 17 185.59x
Cranborne 16 509.55x
Sherborne St John 15 1724.14x
Camberwell 14 5.53x
Battersea 12 8.24x
Chartham 12 356.08x
Tilehurst 12 199.67x
Tonbridge 10 20.52x
Basingstoke 9 96.36x
Hackney London 9 4.05x
Reading St Mary 9 37.80x
Bishopwearmouth 8 7.91x
Kingston On Thames 8 17.26x
Newington 8 5.47x
Streatham 8 27.23x
Brasted 7 400.00x
Cranleigh 7 248.23x
Goudhurst 7 187.17x
Newton In Ashton Under 7 81.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 8.78x
Frindsbury 6 117.88x
Wortley In Bramley 6 19.31x
Blandford Forum 5 97.47x
Lidford 5 135.14x
Reading St Giles 5 17.15x
Rotherhithe 5 10.22x
Walberton 5 602.41x
Brighton 4 2.97x
Hove 4 13.65x
Rottingdean 4 175.44x
Rye 4 62.99x
St Pancras London 4 1.25x
Acton 3 12.92x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.74x
Chislehurst 3 41.38x
Clapham 3 6.06x
Halifax 3 5.21x
Hastings St Leonards 3 30.58x
St Marylebone London 3 1.42x
Ticehurst 3 73.35x
Birkdale 2 16.82x
Buxted 2 76.63x
Christchurch 2 11.36x
Croydon 2 1.87x
Hanwell 2 28.49x
Hastings Holy Trinity 2 40.65x
Hastings St Clement 2 31.85x
Hastings St Mary 2 12.03x
Hawkhurst 2 47.62x
Longworth 2 246.91x
Ore 2 40.24x
Southwark Christchurch 2 10.78x
St Andrewthe Less 2 6.98x
Wadhurst 2 45.66x
Wootton St Lawrence 2 148.15x
Basing 1 65.79x
Bramley 1 58.82x
Cholsey 1 42.55x
Colchester St James 1 31.55x
Dorking 1 7.72x
Ealing 1 2.83x
Great Yarmouth 1 1.98x
Hampstead London 1 1.62x
Islington London 1 0.26x
Linthwaite 1 12.12x
Madehurst 1 384.62x
Ninfield 1 121.95x
Paddington London 1 0.69x
Ratcliffe London 1 4.57x
Rumbolds Wyke 1 81.30x
Speldhurst 1 14.53x
St Thomas Winchester 1 17.45x
Staines 1 15.95x
Subdeanery 1 19.72x
Tunworth 1 666.67x
Welwyn 1 42.37x
Woodford 1 11.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 16
Emily 13
Eliza 11
Emma 9
Alice 8
Jane 7
Hannah 6
Margaret 6
Charlotte 5
Harriett 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Agnes 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Kate 3
Lucy 3
Esther 2
Eunice 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Isabella 2
Lilian 2
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz 1
Elva 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Henry 1
N. 1
Nina 1
Nora 1
Philadelphia 1
Phillis 1
Priscilla 1
Rosalind 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
Charles 18
Henry 17
George 15
James 12
Thomas 12
Alfred 9
John 9
Edward 7
Albert 6
Ernest 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Joseph 3
Willm. 3
Clement 2
Compton 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Horace 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
W. 2
Walter 2
Athelstane 1
Caleb 1
Chas.Edwd. 1
F. 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Heze 1
Hezekiah 1
Joel 1
Jonathon 1
Leonard 1
Moses 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
S. 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Dibley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dibley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 406 people were recorded with the Dibley surname. That placed it at #7,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dibley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 447 in 2016. That gives Dibley a modern rank of #10,857.

What does the Dibley surname mean?

A place name referring to a town or dwelling place.

What does the Dibley map show?

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