NameCensus.

UK surname

Dicken

Derived from the medieval nickname for Richard, or referring to a person with a heavy, ungainly physique.

In the 1881 census there were 841 people recorded with the Dicken surname, ranking it #4,486 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,057, ranked #5,520, down from #4,486 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Stockport and Burton-on-Trent. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, Sandwell and Malvern Hills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dicken is 1,128 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.7%.

1881 census count

841

Ranked #4,486

Modern count

1,057

2016, ranked #5,520

Peak year

2010

1,128 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dicken had 841 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,486 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,057 in 2016, ranked #5,520.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,017 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dicken surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dicken surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dicken 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 669 #3,883
1861 historical 688 #3,917
1881 historical 841 #4,486
1891 historical 1,005 #4,127
1901 historical 963 #4,878
1911 historical 1,017 #4,481
1997 modern 1,043 #5,300
1998 modern 1,101 #5,262
1999 modern 1,108 #5,263
2000 modern 1,071 #5,377
2001 modern 1,075 #5,267
2002 modern 1,083 #5,342
2003 modern 1,046 #5,394
2004 modern 1,052 #5,377
2005 modern 1,051 #5,328
2006 modern 1,058 #5,302
2007 modern 1,073 #5,286
2008 modern 1,071 #5,323
2009 modern 1,105 #5,305
2010 modern 1,128 #5,320
2011 modern 1,123 #5,282
2012 modern 1,073 #5,397
2013 modern 1,079 #5,469
2014 modern 1,089 #5,452
2015 modern 1,070 #5,477
2016 modern 1,057 #5,520

Geography

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Where Dickens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Stockport, Burton-on-Trent, St Werburgh and Rochdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire, Sandwell and Malvern Hills. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 013 South Derbyshire
2 Sandwell 001 Sandwell
3 Sandwell 016 Sandwell
4 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire
5 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dicken

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dicken

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dicken is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dicken is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dicken falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dicken

The surname Dicken is of English origin, derived from the medieval diminutive of the personal name Richard. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.

Dicken is believed to have evolved from the Old English "Ricarding," which later became "Dikening" or "Dicconing" before taking on the more modern spelling of Dicken. The name is thought to have originated as a descriptive nickname, referring to someone who was a son or descendant of a person named Richard.

One of the earliest known references to the name Dicken can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mentions a "William Diken." Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327 record a "Richard Diken."

In the 15th century, the surname Dicken appeared in various forms, such as "Dycken," "Dykyn," and "Dyckyn," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation during that era.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Dicken throughout history are John Dicken (1568-1638), an English Puritan minister and author, and William Dicken (1615-1688), a prominent English Quaker and writer.

Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Dicken (1732-1798), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Admiral. In the literary world, Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the renowned English novelist and social critic, is perhaps the most famous bearer of the name, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

Other individuals of note include William Dicken (1851-1923), a British trade unionist and Labour politician, and Richard Dicken (1892-1975), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.

While the surname Dicken may have evolved over time and taken on various spellings, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it emerged as a descriptive nickname derived from the popular personal name Richard.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dicken families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dicken 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. Staffordshire leads with 231 Dickens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.32x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 231 8.32x
Derbyshire 192 14.91x
Lancashire 79 0.81x
Shropshire 60 8.45x
Cheshire 44 2.42x
Yorkshire 40 0.49x
Denbighshire 33 10.62x
Middlesex 22 0.27x
Durham 20 0.82x
Sussex 16 1.15x
Warwickshire 14 0.68x
Worcestershire 13 1.21x
Norfolk 10 0.79x
Herefordshire 9 2.67x
Flintshire 8 3.62x
Devon 7 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.45x
Somerset 4 0.30x
Surrey 4 0.10x
Wigtownshire 4 3.66x
Ayrshire 3 0.49x
Gloucestershire 3 0.19x
Hampshire 3 0.18x
Kent 3 0.11x
Lincolnshire 3 0.23x
Berkshire 2 0.32x
Dorset 2 0.37x
Montgomeryshire 2 1.06x
Northamptonshire 2 0.26x
Royal Navy 2 2.04x
Bedfordshire 1 0.23x
Hertfordshire 1 0.18x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 39 Dickens recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.83x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 39 37.83x
West Bromwich 38 23.91x
Eggington 24 2086.96x
Matlock 24 138.81x
Saddleworth 24 38.18x
Church Gresley 18 87.89x
Burton Upon Trent 16 24.64x
Derby St Werburgh 15 20.18x
Heaton Norris 13 23.41x
Rugeley 13 65.26x
Derby St Alkmund 12 31.10x
Macclesfield 11 13.63x
Manchester 11 2.51x
Abergele 10 111.98x
Brampton 10 55.56x
Salford 10 3.48x
Binham 9 666.67x
Bishopwearmouth 9 4.29x
Bosden 9 161.58x
Droylsden 9 28.28x
Ellesmere 9 73.77x
Loppington 9 592.11x
Tunstall 9 73.89x
Wolstanton Knutton 9 53.10x
Alrewas Hays Orgreave 8 1250.00x
Bridstow 8 416.67x
Flagg 8 1481.48x
Holt 8 277.78x
Stanton Newhall 8 193.70x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 2.72x
Wolstanton 8 9.49x
Alderwasley 7 642.20x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 3.28x
Aston 7 1.23x
Hastings St Clement 7 53.64x
Nether Hallam 7 6.35x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 14.25x
Oldbury 7 13.25x
Wednesbury 7 10.09x
Whitchurch Black Park 7 2592.59x
Wolverhampton 7 3.28x
Anslow 6 555.56x
Birkenhead 6 4.15x
Croxall 6 1016.95x
Derby St Peter 6 14.63x
Fairfield 6 69.69x
Hanbury 6 394.74x
St Marylebone London 6 1.37x
Wingfield South 6 173.91x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 5 62.03x
Gresford 5 169.49x
Newton 5 177.94x
Prees 5 57.80x
Rhuddlan Rhyl 5 324.68x
Rolleston 5 234.74x
Wirksworth 5 42.74x
Wisborough Green 5 107.30x
Bingley 4 7.71x
Burntwood Edial 4 22.56x
Burton Extra 4 25.13x
Chelmorton 4 606.06x
Dronfield 4 24.24x
Hartington Upper 4 65.15x
Hordley 4 487.80x
Middleton In Oldham 4 13.67x
Newton Solney 4 300.75x
Paddington London 4 1.32x
Penninghame 4 35.91x
Shifnal 4 20.74x
Streethay 4 655.74x
Wednesfield 4 9.79x
Bramhall 3 39.89x
Chester St Oswald 3 9.13x
Dalbury With Lees 3 535.71x
Exeter Heavitree 3 23.51x
Liverpool 3 0.51x
Malpas Iscoyd 3 258.62x
Moreton Say 3 163.93x
Moss Side 3 5.84x
Norton In Moors 3 20.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 53
Elizabeth 41
Sarah 32
Ann 22
Eliza 15
Ellen 14
Hannah 14
Emily 13
Annie 12
Harriet 10
Margaret 10
Martha 10
Fanny 9
Alice 8
Catherine 8
Emma 8
Jane 8
Edith 5
Ada 4
Anne 4
Florence 4
Isabella 4
Maria 4
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Lucy 3
Phoebe 3
Amy 2
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Fanney 2
Frances 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Rosannah 2
Rose 2
Theresa 2
Agnes 1
Awny 1
Barbara 1
Christiana 1
Deborah 1
Dinah 1
Dora 1
Eanswytho 1
Edeith 1
Gertrude 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 50
John 49
William 48
George 31
Charles 23
James 22
Joseph 20
Henry 15
Robert 15
Edward 12
Samuel 12
Francis 10
Albert 9
Arthur 9
Richard 8
Alfred 6
Frederick 5
Herbert 5
Frank 4
Archibald 3
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Isaiah 3
Stephen 3
Bernard 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Frances 2
Fred 2
Jno. 2
Jonathon 2
Luke 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Aurthur 1
Colley 1
Daniel 1
Davied 1
Ellen 1
Enoch 1
Ezzi 1
Felix 1
Frederic 1
Jos. 1
Levi 1
Matthew 1
Noah 1
Percy 1
Radford 1
Ralph 1

FAQ

Dicken surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dicken surname in 1881?

In 1881, 841 people were recorded with the Dicken surname. That placed it at #4,486 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dicken surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,057 in 2016. That gives Dicken a modern rank of #5,520.

What does the Dicken surname mean?

Derived from the medieval nickname for Richard, or referring to a person with a heavy, ungainly physique.

What does the Dicken map show?

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