NameCensus.

UK surname

Dinwoodie

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a dwelling in a wooded valley.

In the 1881 census there were 318 people recorded with the Dinwoodie surname, ranking it #9,342 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 324, ranked #13,966, down from #9,342 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Moffat and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Langholm and Eskdale, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Doon Valley South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dinwoodie is 440 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.9%.

1881 census count

318

Ranked #9,342

Modern count

324

2016, ranked #13,966

Peak year

1901

440 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dinwoodie had 318 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,342 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 324 in 2016, ranked #13,966.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 440 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dinwoodie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dinwoodie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dinwoodie 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 195 #10,620
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 318 #9,342
1891 historical 358 #9,655
1901 historical 440 #8,843
1911 historical 193 #15,294
1997 modern 325 #12,832
1998 modern 331 #13,018
1999 modern 341 #12,851
2000 modern 348 #12,614
2001 modern 333 #12,817
2002 modern 334 #13,045
2003 modern 334 #12,847
2004 modern 329 #13,027
2005 modern 319 #13,275
2006 modern 324 #13,183
2007 modern 323 #13,351
2008 modern 312 #13,764
2009 modern 327 #13,599
2010 modern 323 #14,005
2011 modern 314 #14,165
2012 modern 313 #14,095
2013 modern 327 #13,868
2014 modern 328 #13,951
2015 modern 323 #13,991
2016 modern 324 #13,966

Geography

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Where Dinwoodies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Moffat, Manchester, Annan and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Langholm and Eskdale, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Doon Valley South, Deans Village and Doon Valley North. 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 Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity Cheshire
2 Moffat Dumfries
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Annan Dumfries
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Langholm and Eskdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 001 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire
4 Deans Village City of Edinburgh
5 Doon Valley North East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dinwoodie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dinwoodie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dinwoodie, 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 Dinwoodie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dinwoodie 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dinwoodie 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

Dinwoodie is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dinwoodie 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 Dinwoodie 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 Dinwoodie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dinwoodie

The surname Dinwoodie originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is a locational name derived from the lands of Dinwoodie, located in the parish of Applegarth in Dumfriesshire. The name is believed to come from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning hill or fort, and "bhuide" meaning yellow, referring to the color of the soil or vegetation in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish Privy Council Register from 1578, which mentions a John Dynwodye. In the Dumfries Shire Records of 1642, the name appears as Dynwoodie. These early spellings showcase the evolution of the name over time.

The Dinwoodies were a prominent family in Dumfriesshire, with several members playing significant roles in Scottish history. In the late 16th century, Robert Dinwoodie was a prominent landowner and advocate for religious reform. His son, James Dinwoodie (1592-1676), was a respected minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1642.

Another notable figure was Sir William Dinwoodie (1685-1747), a Scottish merchant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1741 to 1747. He played a crucial role in the development of the British West Indies during his tenure.

In the 19th century, John Dinwoodie (1809-1887) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist and landowner. He made significant contributions to the development of the wool industry in Australia and was a prominent figure in the early years of the colony of New South Wales.

One of the most famous bearers of the Dinwoodie name was Sir Archibald Dinwoodie (1876-1954), a Scottish-born Australian soldier and businessman. He fought in the Boer War and World War I, earning numerous military honors, and later became a successful industrialist and philanthropist in Australia.

While the name has since spread worldwide, its roots can be traced back to the hills and valleys of Dumfriesshire, where the Dinwoodies established themselves as a respected family with a rich history and notable contributions to various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dinwoodie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dinwoodie 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. Dumfriesshire leads with 134 Dinwoodies recorded in 1881 and an index of 193.73x.

County Total Index
Dumfriesshire 134 193.73x
Lancashire 28 0.75x
Cumberland 25 9.27x
Cheshire 18 2.60x
Lanarkshire 18 1.78x
Westmorland 13 18.89x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 24.27x
Midlothian 11 2.62x
Argyllshire 10 11.47x
Berwickshire 8 21.10x
Perthshire 6 4.27x
Wigtownshire 6 14.43x
Caernarfonshire 5 3.95x
Middlesex 5 0.16x
Durham 4 0.43x
Renfrewshire 4 1.65x
Isle of Man 3 5.16x
Kent 2 0.19x
Yorkshire 2 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.34x
Ayrshire 1 0.43x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.19x
Fife 1 0.54x
Hampshire 1 0.16x
Inverness-shire 1 1.07x
Roxburghshire 1 1.76x
Stirlingshire 1 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkpatrick Juxta in Dumfriesshire leads with 28 Dinwoodies recorded in 1881 and an index of 2477.88x.

Place Total Index
Kirkpatrick Juxta 28 2477.88x
Johnstone 14 1296.30x
Lochmaben 13 429.04x
Moffat 13 411.39x
Caldewgate 12 81.25x
Chester Holy Trinity 12 370.37x
Barony 10 3.90x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 16.94x
Applegarth 9 857.14x
Dryfesdale 9 282.13x
Langholm 9 181.09x
Durrisdeer 8 672.27x
Cockpen 7 142.86x
Half Morton 7 1296.30x
Annan 6 101.01x
Brough 6 895.52x
Chester St Oswald 6 47.92x
Kilmadock 6 185.76x
Appleby St Lawrence 5 318.47x
Ardchattan Muckairn 5 231.48x
Dolwyddelan 5 364.96x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 5 267.38x
Everton 5 4.22x
Hutton 5 574.71x
Kilcalmonell Kilberry 5 1020.41x
Lauder 5 238.10x
North Meols 5 13.75x
Penninghame 5 117.92x
Kirkpatrick Durham 4 283.69x
Morton 4 173.91x
Toxteth Park 4 3.18x
Westminster St Margaret 4 26.49x
Bothel Threapland 3 714.29x
Broughton In Salford 3 8.83x
Glasgow 3 1.67x
Maughold 3 66.82x
Troqueer 3 50.42x
Westoe 3 5.68x
Bothwell 2 7.28x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.43x
Dumfries 2 29.33x
Hamilton 2 7.08x
Kelton 2 53.76x
Kirkmichael 2 219.78x
Lochwinnoch 2 55.25x
Longformacus 2 487.80x
Penrith 2 20.08x
Temple Sowerby 2 444.44x
Urr 2 33.90x
Aberdour 1 53.48x
Arthuret 1 35.59x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.25x
Chelsea London 1 1.06x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.59x
Eskdalemuir 1 169.49x
Fala Soutra 1 303.03x
Fraserburgh 1 12.25x
Govan 1 0.40x
Gretna 1 76.92x
Hawick 1 7.88x
Hoddam 1 59.88x
Kilmarnock 1 3.59x
Kirkdale 1 1.60x
Lymington 1 21.19x
North Leith 1 5.15x
Paisley High Church 1 5.18x
Pannal 1 33.56x
Portree 1 28.90x
Preston Quarter 1 13.25x
Richmond 1 20.62x
Row 1 9.18x
St Mungo 1 140.85x
St Ninians 1 8.73x
Temple 1 59.88x
Tinwald 1 108.70x
West Greenock 1 2.30x
Westruther 1 138.89x
Westward 1 88.50x
Whithorn 1 31.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Agnes 7
Margaret 6
Jane 4
Frances 3
Bessie 2
Eleanor 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Isabella 2
Janet 2
Jessie 2
Rebecca 2
Sarah 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Eliz. 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Janett 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Rosina 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
James 5
William 5
David 4
George 3
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Adam 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Duncan 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Randle 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Dinwoodie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dinwoodie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 318 people were recorded with the Dinwoodie surname. That placed it at #9,342 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dinwoodie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 324 in 2016. That gives Dinwoodie a modern rank of #13,966.

What does the Dinwoodie surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a dwelling in a wooded valley.

What does the Dinwoodie map show?

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