NameCensus.

UK surname

Dinham

Derived from a place name referring to a former resident near a valley or dene.

In the 1881 census there were 319 people recorded with the Dinham surname, ranking it #9,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 439, ranked #11,007, down from #9,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Bath and North East Somerset and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dinham is 530 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.6%.

1881 census count

319

Ranked #9,326

Modern count

439

2016, ranked #11,007

Peak year

1911

530 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dinham had 319 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 439 in 2016, ranked #11,007.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 530 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dinham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dinham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dinham 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 318 #7,999
1881 historical 319 #9,326
1891 historical 426 #8,412
1901 historical 486 #8,224
1911 historical 530 #7,500
1997 modern 475 #9,676
1998 modern 492 #9,715
1999 modern 490 #9,811
2000 modern 481 #9,916
2001 modern 475 #9,827
2002 modern 496 #9,697
2003 modern 470 #9,924
2004 modern 483 #9,743
2005 modern 450 #10,209
2006 modern 444 #10,347
2007 modern 447 #10,388
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 462 #10,444
2010 modern 466 #10,595
2011 modern 477 #10,319
2012 modern 445 #10,753
2013 modern 445 #10,928
2014 modern 442 #11,057
2015 modern 437 #11,077
2016 modern 439 #11,007

Geography

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Where Dinhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Bath and North East Somerset, Merthyr Tydfil, Cornwall and Bristol. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 007 Sedgemoor
2 Bath and North East Somerset 010 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Merthyr Tydfil 003 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Cornwall 026 Cornwall
5 Bristol 037 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dinham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dinham

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dinham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dinham 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

Dinham 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 Dinham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dinham

The surname Dinham is of English origin, with records dating back to the 11th century in the county of Devon. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dyne" meaning a hill or valley, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village, suggesting that the name refers to a place where the earliest bearers lived.

One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Dinant" and "Dinan." This suggests that the name may have had different spellings in its early history, which was common for many surnames during that era.

In the 12th century, the Dinham family held lands in the parish of Hartland, Devon, and their name is associated with the village of Dinham, located near the town of Barnstaple. Records show that members of the family served as knights and held positions of importance in the local community.

One notable figure was Sir Oliver Dinham, who was born around 1320 and served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He fought alongside the Black Prince at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and later became a member of the Order of the Garter.

Another prominent individual was John Dinham, who was born in 1406 and served as Lord Treasurer of England during the reign of King Henry VI. He was also a member of the Privy Council and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses.

In the 16th century, the Dinham family is known to have held lands in the parish of Kingswear, Devon, where they had a manor house called Dinham's Hall. This property was later acquired by the Yarde family, who renamed it Yarde's Haye.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, several members of the Dinham family fought on the Royalist side, including John Dinham, who was killed in action at the Battle of Lostwithiel in 1644.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dinham include Sir Thomas Dinham, who was born in 1550 and served as a Member of Parliament for Devon, and Sir John Dinham, who was born in 1625 and served as a colonel in the Royalist army during the English Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dinham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dinham 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. Somerset leads with 137 Dinhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.35x.

County Total Index
Somerset 137 27.35x
Middlesex 34 1.09x
Devon 33 5.09x
Gloucestershire 26 4.26x
Hampshire 20 3.14x
Surrey 14 0.92x
Lancashire 10 0.27x
Wiltshire 9 3.27x
Dorset 8 3.92x
Glamorgan 7 1.29x
Kent 6 0.57x
Cornwall 3 0.85x
Hertfordshire 3 1.40x
Shropshire 3 1.12x
Bedfordshire 1 0.62x
Berkshire 1 0.43x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 2.22x
Suffolk 1 0.26x
Sussex 1 0.19x
Worcestershire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilminster in Somerset leads with 26 Dinhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 742.86x.

Place Total Index
Ilminster 26 742.86x
Portsea 18 14.40x
St Pancras London 15 5.99x
Bedminster 13 27.62x
Wellington 11 162.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 15.66x
Corsham 8 199.01x
East Stonehouse 8 62.70x
Kensington London 8 4.62x
Lyng 8 2500.00x
Battersea 7 6.11x
Broadway 7 1458.33x
Kilton 7 4666.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 14.03x
Roath 7 28.44x
Stocklinch Magdalen 7 6363.64x
Tormoham 7 25.54x
Wiveliscombe 7 250.90x
Bridport 6 142.86x
Blackburn 5 5.09x
Bradford 5 1020.41x
Bristol St Paul In 5 30.75x
Walcot 5 18.74x
Bristol St Augustine 4 40.61x
Long Sutton 4 430.11x
Lyncombe Widcombe 4 30.51x
North Curry 4 235.29x
St George Bloomsbury 4 22.41x
Taunton St James 4 54.79x
Thorne St Margaret 4 3076.92x
Bermondsey 3 3.24x
Condover 3 158.73x
Exeter St Mary Arches 3 491.80x
Fivehead 3 681.82x
Hemel Hempstead 3 31.06x
Lewisham 3 5.30x
St George Hanover Square 3 5.47x
Staple Fitzpaine 3 1500.00x
Stratton 3 157.07x
Aighton Bailey 2 112.36x
Bridgewater 2 14.71x
Bristol St George 2 7.09x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 9.83x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 2 35.97x
Burlescombe 2 227.27x
Clifton 2 6.48x
Crewkerne 2 37.59x
Culmstock 2 217.39x
Glastonbury 2 48.90x
Hackney London 2 1.15x
Holford 2 1176.47x
Kilve 2 833.33x
Plymouth Charles The 2 7.01x
Salford 2 1.84x
Westminster St John 2 5.28x
Windlesham 2 70.18x
Basingstoke 1 13.62x
Berry Pomeroy 1 93.46x
Camberwell 1 0.50x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.70x
Claverton 1 370.37x
Clevedon 1 19.19x
Dawlish 1 20.70x
Durnford 1 208.33x
Gravesend 1 11.12x
Greenwich 1 2.02x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 7.78x
Melcombe Regis 1 11.82x
Minnigaff 1 59.17x
Penge 1 5.03x
Plumstead 1 2.83x
Portland 1 9.11x
Portsmouth 1 6.81x
Reading St Mary 1 5.34x
Sharnbrook 1 112.36x
Stocklinch Ottersey 1 769.23x
Subdeanery 1 25.13x
Wembdon 1 67.57x
West Monkton 1 90.91x
Yardley 1 9.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 15
Alice 9
Sarah 9
Emma 7
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Florence 5
Julia 5
Annie 4
Caroline 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Blanche 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Eleanor 2
Eva 2
Laura 2
Maria 2
Susanna 2
Amy 1
Angelica 1
Anne 1
Annetta 1
Barbara 1
Bessie 1
Bessy 1
Edna 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Helena 1
Josephine 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
M.A. 1
Maltildia 1
Maomi 1
Margaret 1
Margarte 1
Tamar 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
John 15
Thomas 13
George 10
Henry 10
Charles 7
James 7
Albert 6
Frederick 6
Alfred 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Edmund 2
Eli 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Thos. 2
Ben 1
Edwd 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.A. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.J. 1
Harry 1
Himber 1
J.W. 1
Job 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richd. 1
Sam 1
Sydney 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Dinham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dinham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 319 people were recorded with the Dinham surname. That placed it at #9,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dinham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 439 in 2016. That gives Dinham a modern rank of #11,007.

What does the Dinham surname mean?

Derived from a place name referring to a former resident near a valley or dene.

What does the Dinham map show?

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