NameCensus.

UK surname

Dick

An English surname derived from the medieval nickname for Richard or a name referring to a ditch or dike.

In the 1881 census there were 6,686 people recorded with the Dick surname, ranking it #633 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,497, ranked #1,037, down from #633 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Deans Village, Galston and Lochgelly East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dick is 8,018 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.8%.

1881 census count

6,686

Ranked #633

Modern count

6,497

2016, ranked #1,037

Peak year

1901

8,018 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dick had 6,686 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #633 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,497 in 2016, ranked #1,037.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,018 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Dick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dick 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 5,009 #551
1861 historical 5,439 #509
1881 historical 6,686 #633
1891 historical 6,968 #645
1901 historical 8,018 #664
1911 historical 2,233 #2,263
1997 modern 7,181 #904
1998 modern 7,297 #927
1999 modern 7,231 #947
2000 modern 7,224 #939
2001 modern 6,933 #953
2002 modern 7,024 #961
2003 modern 6,951 #943
2004 modern 6,898 #956
2005 modern 6,761 #965
2006 modern 6,658 #985
2007 modern 6,693 #987
2008 modern 6,677 #994
2009 modern 6,763 #1,003
2010 modern 6,874 #1,008
2011 modern 6,723 #1,015
2012 modern 6,487 #1,034
2013 modern 6,561 #1,040
2014 modern 6,575 #1,043
2015 modern 6,532 #1,040
2016 modern 6,497 #1,037

Geography

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Where Dicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Deans Village, Galston, Lochgelly East, Methil Methilhill and Stonehouse. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Deans Village City of Edinburgh
2 Galston East Ayrshire
3 Lochgelly East Fife
4 Methil Methilhill Fife
5 Stonehouse South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dick

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Dick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Dick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dick 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

Dick is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dick 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 Dick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dick

The surname DICK is of English origin, derived from the medieval English nickname "Dick" which was a pet form of the name Richard. The name Richard itself is derived from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning power and "hard" meaning brave or hardy.

The earliest recorded use of the surname DICK dates back to the late 12th century, with a reference to a William Dic in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. Other early records include a Henry Dik listed in the Assize Court Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221, and a John Dyck mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The DICK surname is believed to have originated in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire, as evidenced by the early records mentioned above. Over time, the name spread to other regions of the country.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners and tenants in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname DICK. However, the name Richard, from which DICK is derived, appears frequently, suggesting that the nickname and eventual surname may have emerged shortly after the Norman Conquest.

Notable individuals with the surname DICK throughout history include:

1. Sir William Dick (1580-1655), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure.

2. Thomas Dick (1772-1857), a Scottish scientist, philosopher, and writer best known for his works on astronomy and Christian philosophy.

3. Robert Dick (1811-1866), a Scottish baker and amateur naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of geology and botany in his local area.

4. Sir Michael Dick (1831-1918), a British civil engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Mersey Railway in Liverpool.

5. Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (1869-1924), an American architect born as Bertram Grosvenor Dick, known for designing notable buildings such as the Nebraska State Capitol and the Los Angeles Central Library.

The surname DICK has also been associated with various place names, such as Dickleburgh in Norfolk, England, and Dicken Green in Hertfordshire, England, although the exact connections between these places and the surname are not entirely clear.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dick 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 1,557 Dicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.39x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,557 7.39x
Midlothian 758 8.68x
Ayrshire 547 11.22x
Fife 520 13.48x
Angus 435 7.21x
Renfrewshire 284 5.62x
Middlesex 248 0.38x
Stirlingshire 230 9.57x
Lancashire 171 0.22x
Aberdeenshire 165 2.73x
Perthshire 163 5.57x
Northumberland 144 1.49x
Yorkshire 144 0.22x
Durham 136 0.70x
West Lothian 116 11.82x
Morayshire 102 10.07x
Surrey 87 0.27x
Cheshire 59 0.41x
Dunbartonshire 59 3.37x
Argyllshire 52 2.87x
Clackmannanshire 50 9.29x
Essex 43 0.33x
Kirkcudbrightshire 41 4.35x
Kent 37 0.17x
Selkirkshire 35 5.94x
Nottinghamshire 33 0.38x
Banffshire 30 2.22x
Roxburghshire 29 2.46x
Dumfriesshire 28 1.95x
Caithness 27 3.03x
Warwickshire 26 0.16x
Derbyshire 24 0.24x
East Lothian 23 2.66x
Cumberland 22 0.39x
Kinross-shire 20 12.14x
Devon 17 0.13x
Lincolnshire 17 0.16x
Isle of Man 15 1.24x
Sussex 15 0.14x
Kincardineshire 14 1.76x
Hampshire 13 0.10x
Somerset 12 0.11x
Staffordshire 12 0.05x
Wigtownshire 11 1.27x
Peeblesshire 10 3.26x
Inverness-shire 9 0.46x
Orkney 9 1.26x
Berwickshire 8 1.01x
Gloucestershire 8 0.06x
Royal Navy 8 1.03x
Ross-shire 7 0.39x
Monmouthshire 6 0.13x
Norfolk 6 0.06x
Berkshire 5 0.10x
Worcestershire 5 0.06x
Buteshire 3 0.76x
Cornwall 3 0.04x
Northamptonshire 3 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.07x
Channel Islands 2 0.10x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Herefordshire 2 0.07x
Nairnshire 2 1.01x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.10x
Brecknockshire 1 0.08x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x
Shropshire 1 0.02x
Suffolk 1 0.01x
Sutherland 1 0.20x
Wiltshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 394 Dicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.56x.

Place Total Index
Govan 394 7.56x
Barony 295 5.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 288 8.20x
Dundee 194 8.61x
Glasgow 187 5.00x
Hamilton 119 20.25x
Dunfermline 110 18.55x
South Leith 101 10.28x
Carluke 79 41.28x
Old Monkland 78 9.33x
West Greenock 78 8.61x
Kilmarnock 72 12.40x
Falkirk 70 12.44x
Maybole 69 46.47x
Rutherglen 65 21.02x
Liff Benvie 63 6.87x
Bothwell 58 10.15x
Forfar 49 14.99x
St Ninians 49 20.57x
Kilrenny 45 63.06x
Ayr 43 18.68x
Islington London 40 0.63x
North Leith 40 9.90x
Coylton 39 56.37x
Holy Trinity 39 2.51x
Dalserf 37 17.59x
Everton 35 1.42x
Newton On Ayr 34 23.28x
Duddingston 33 18.83x
Falkland 33 54.39x
New Monkland 33 5.30x
Dreghorn 32 36.24x
Cathcart 31 11.35x
Kilchoman 30 52.71x
Burntisland 29 26.89x
Cambusnethan 29 6.20x
Maryhill 29 7.03x
Stirling 29 9.57x
Alloa 28 10.73x
Auchterderran 27 27.84x
Newington 27 1.12x
Paisley Middle Church 27 9.18x
Duffus 26 29.14x
Eastwood 26 8.36x
Kilbirnie 26 22.20x
Cupar 25 14.90x
Dalmellington 25 17.43x
West Calder 25 14.53x
Cramond 24 36.28x
Paisley High Church 24 5.97x
Birkenhead 23 2.01x
Dunblane 23 32.86x
Elswick 23 2.97x
Lesmahagow 23 10.32x
Monifieth 23 10.79x
Stevenston 23 18.09x
Cambuslang 22 10.35x
Irvine 22 16.24x
Linlithgow 22 17.48x
St Quivox 22 13.34x
Uphall 22 20.39x
Airth 21 68.76x
Barrow In Furness 21 2.00x
Leslie 21 21.50x
Nottingham St Mary 21 0.92x
Sculcoates 21 2.05x
Toxteth Park 21 0.80x
Avondale 20 16.23x
New Kilpatrick 20 12.01x
Shettleston 20 10.60x
Abbotshall 19 13.18x
Dundonald 19 10.57x
Dysart 19 7.31x
Elgin 19 9.65x
St Pancras London 19 0.36x
Stow 19 42.34x
Collessie 18 40.53x
Fraserburgh 18 10.60x
Kensington London 18 0.50x
Blairgowrie 17 14.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 90
William 89
James 77
George 42
Thomas 39
Robert 38
Andrew 20
Alexander 19
Charles 19
Henry 15
Joseph 13
Frederick 11
Samuel 9
Arthur 8
Harry 7
David 6
Edward 6
Francis 6
Walter 6
Daniel 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Wm. 4
Adam 3
Allen 3
Frank 3
Infant 3
J. 3
Aaron 2
Benjamin 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
Gordon 2
Gorge 2
H. 2
Herbert 2
Jacob 2
Jas. 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Nicholas 2
Ralph 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Augustis 1
Aurther 1
Ebenezer 1
Elliot 1

FAQ

Dick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,686 people were recorded with the Dick surname. That placed it at #633 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,497 in 2016. That gives Dick a modern rank of #1,037.

What does the Dick surname mean?

An English surname derived from the medieval nickname for Richard or a name referring to a ditch or dike.

What does the Dick map show?

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