NameCensus.

UK surname

Dilworth

A locational surname referring to someone from Dilworth, a place meaning "farm by a dell or deep stream."

In the 1881 census there were 863 people recorded with the Dilworth surname, ranking it #4,383 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 995, ranked #5,822, down from #4,383 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Preston and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Conwy, Yoker South and Preston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dilworth is 1,083 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.3%.

1881 census count

863

Ranked #4,383

Modern count

995

2016, ranked #5,822

Peak year

2010

1,083 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dilworth had 863 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,383 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 995 in 2016, ranked #5,822.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,036 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dilworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dilworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dilworth 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 543 #4,650
1861 historical 650 #4,130
1881 historical 863 #4,383
1891 historical 879 #4,683
1901 historical 1,036 #4,616
1911 historical 1,036 #4,432
1997 modern 1,020 #5,401
1998 modern 1,035 #5,518
1999 modern 1,022 #5,614
2000 modern 1,017 #5,604
2001 modern 984 #5,647
2002 modern 993 #5,725
2003 modern 993 #5,623
2004 modern 997 #5,617
2005 modern 1,001 #5,544
2006 modern 1,031 #5,424
2007 modern 1,023 #5,508
2008 modern 1,034 #5,498
2009 modern 1,049 #5,554
2010 modern 1,083 #5,512
2011 modern 1,047 #5,599
2012 modern 988 #5,801
2013 modern 1,005 #5,797
2014 modern 1,011 #5,804
2015 modern 986 #5,880
2016 modern 995 #5,822

Geography

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Where Dilworths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Preston, Liverpool, London parishes and Chipping. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Conwy, Yoker South, Preston, Barking and Dagenham and Burnley. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Chipping Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Conwy 005 Conwy
2 Yoker South Glasgow City
3 Preston 009 Preston
4 Barking and Dagenham 007 Barking and Dagenham
5 Burnley 004 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dilworth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dilworth

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Dilworth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dilworth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dilworth is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dilworth is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dilworth falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dilworth

The surname Dilworth has its origins in England, emerging during the late medieval period. The name is believed to be a locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire called Dilworth, which itself is a combination of the Old English words "dil" (meaning "valley") and "worth" (meaning "enclosed settlement or farm").

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dilworth surname appears in the Lancashire Inquests, Extents, and Feudal Aids from the 13th century, where a Richard de Dilworth is mentioned. The name also appears in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories from the 16th century, with a John Dilworth being referenced.

The Dilworth surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Robert Dilworth (1549-1615), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Dilworth (1680-1738), an English schoolmaster and author of several educational works, including "A New Guide to the English Tongue" and "The Schoolmaster's Assistant." His books were widely used in schools across England during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, there was John Dilworth (1811-1888), an English-born Methodist minister who emigrated to Canada and became a prominent figure in the Methodist Church of Canada.

A more recent example is William Parker Dilworth (1915-1992), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1956 to 1962, during a pivotal period for the city's urban development and civil rights movement.

Additionally, the Dilworth surname has been associated with several place names, such as Dilworth, a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dilworth, a village in Lancashire, England, where the name is believed to have originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dilworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dilworth 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. Lancashire leads with 509 Dilworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.10x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 509 5.10x
Yorkshire 124 1.49x
Cheshire 46 2.48x
Middlesex 45 0.53x
Warwickshire 41 1.93x
Staffordshire 25 0.88x
Monmouthshire 12 1.97x
Lanarkshire 11 0.40x
Cumberland 9 1.24x
Essex 6 0.36x
Leicestershire 5 0.54x
Lincolnshire 4 0.30x
Westmorland 4 2.16x
Worcestershire 4 0.36x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.56x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.26x
Hampshire 2 0.12x
Kent 2 0.07x
Northumberland 2 0.16x
Surrey 2 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.16x
Cornwall 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 103 Dilworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.54x.

Place Total Index
Preston 103 38.54x
Great Bolton 31 23.43x
Great Harwood 27 149.50x
Ovenden 25 67.33x
Blackburn 22 8.28x
Wavertree 22 68.81x
West Derby 16 5.47x
Little Bolton 15 11.68x
Chipping 14 492.96x
Halifax 14 11.43x
Skircoat 14 42.55x
Hampton Lucy 13 1150.44x
Kenilworth 13 108.60x
Liverpool 13 2.14x
St Pancras London 13 1.92x
Toxteth Park 13 3.84x
Alston 12 258.06x
Bethnal Green London 12 3.28x
Abergavenny 11 48.27x
Euxton 11 332.33x
Huyton With Roby 11 93.94x
Alvanley 10 1052.63x
Dilworth 10 163.40x
Horton In Bradford 10 7.68x
Thornley Cum Wheatley 10 990.10x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 11.35x
Hapton 9 144.23x
Spotland 9 8.10x
Goosnargh 8 247.68x
Seaton 8 94.67x
Wednesbury 8 11.27x
Barrow In Furness 7 5.15x
Birmingham 7 0.99x
Glasgow 7 1.45x
Islington London 7 0.86x
Leeds 7 1.49x
Nether Kellet 7 875.00x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 13.92x
Utkinton 7 466.67x
Charlecote 6 800.00x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 6 56.23x
Delamere 6 359.28x
Hornsey 6 5.64x
Hulme 6 2.88x
Lancaster 6 10.09x
Leyland 6 34.52x
Newchurch 6 7.34x
Tong 6 37.24x
West Ham 6 1.64x
Wrightington 6 137.61x
Clitheroe 5 17.01x
Dalton In Furness 5 12.97x
Little Stanney 5 1086.96x
Lower Booths 5 27.93x
Northallerton 5 46.95x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 5 23.40x
Ulverston 5 17.18x
Bowland Forest Low 4 454.55x
Chorley 4 7.14x
Crumpsall 4 16.99x
Everton 4 1.26x
Kendal 4 11.81x
Leicester St Martin 4 63.80x
Liscard 4 11.95x
Masham 4 129.45x
Northowram 4 6.84x
Salford 4 1.36x
Tonge 4 19.08x
Tottington Lower End 4 8.43x
Warley 4 16.59x
Warrington 4 3.38x
Westleigh 4 17.64x
Accrington 3 3.30x
Crompton 3 10.54x
Harborne 3 3.29x
Lawkland 3 344.83x
Lockwood 3 10.00x
Shipley 3 6.93x
Sutton St Mary 3 23.57x
Swavesey 3 87.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 79
Elizabeth 38
Alice 36
Ann 36
Sarah 30
Margaret 25
Jane 19
Ellen 16
Annie 13
Hannah 12
Agnes 9
Emily 8
Martha 8
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Esther 4
Fanny 4
Isabella 4
Ada 3
Amy 3
Eleanor 3
Florence 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Alza 2
Anne 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Cicily 2
Elizth. 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Clare 1
Clemintina 1
Dinah 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth.A. 1
Harriett 1
Helena 1
Julia 1
June 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 66
John 59
Thomas 44
James 27
Robert 21
Joseph 20
George 19
Richard 18
Charles 9
Henry 8
Richd. 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Francis 5
Peter 4
Sam 4
David 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Adam 2
Alfred 2
Aloysius 2
Anthony 2
Arthur 2
Charls 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Elijah 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Isaac 2
Jeremiah 2
Robt. 2
Rodger 2
Roger 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Joe 1
Johnson 1
Jonathan 1
Jonis 1
Leeming 1

FAQ

Dilworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dilworth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 863 people were recorded with the Dilworth surname. That placed it at #4,383 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dilworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 995 in 2016. That gives Dilworth a modern rank of #5,822.

What does the Dilworth surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Dilworth, a place meaning "farm by a dell or deep stream."

What does the Dilworth map show?

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