NameCensus.

UK surname

Discombe

In the 1881 census there were 194 people recorded with the Discombe surname, ranking it #13,097 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 258, ranked #16,449, down from #13,097 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bovey Tracey, Hennock, Cullompton and Exeter St David (including Castle Yard). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Teignbridge, Mid Devon and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Discombe is 308 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.0%.

1881 census count

194

Ranked #13,097

Modern count

258

2016, ranked #16,449

Peak year

2002

308 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Discombe had 194 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,097 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 258 in 2016, ranked #16,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 283 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Discombe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Discombe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Discombe 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 194 #13,097
1891 historical 217 #14,062
1901 historical 247 #13,238
1911 historical 283 #11,883
1997 modern 287 #13,912
1998 modern 291 #14,155
1999 modern 284 #14,474
2000 modern 293 #14,141
2001 modern 289 #14,069
2002 modern 308 #13,763
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 278 #14,609
2005 modern 263 #15,139
2006 modern 262 #15,255
2007 modern 259 #15,519
2008 modern 259 #15,688
2009 modern 262 #15,888
2010 modern 271 #15,856
2011 modern 251 #16,589
2012 modern 253 #16,377
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 263 #16,334
2015 modern 261 #16,318
2016 modern 258 #16,449

Geography

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Where Discombes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bovey Tracey, Hennock, Cullompton, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), London parishes and Kingsteignton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Teignbridge, Mid Devon, Swansea and Lewisham. 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 Bovey Tracey, Hennock Devon
2 Cullompton Devon
3 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
4 London parishes London 1
5 Kingsteignton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Teignbridge 009 Teignbridge
2 Mid Devon 011 Mid Devon
3 Swansea 003 Swansea
4 Mid Devon 001 Mid Devon
5 Lewisham 013 Lewisham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Discombe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Discombe

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Discombe 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

Discombe 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

Discombe falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Discombe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Discombe 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. Devon leads with 130 Discombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.01x.

County Total Index
Devon 130 33.01x
Middlesex 25 1.32x
Surrey 10 1.08x
Somerset 9 2.95x
Sussex 6 1.88x
Gloucestershire 4 1.08x
Hampshire 3 0.77x
Lincolnshire 3 0.99x
Yorkshire 3 0.16x
Kent 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sandford in Devon leads with 25 Discombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2604.17x.

Place Total Index
Sandford 25 2604.17x
Kingsteignton 14 1272.73x
Crediton 10 268.10x
Moreton Hampstead 10 980.39x
Cullompton 8 465.12x
Highweek 8 571.43x
St Marylebone London 8 7.92x
Stoke Damerel 7 25.39x
Upton Helions 7 8750.00x
Wellington 7 169.49x
Bexhill 6 377.36x
East Stonehouse 6 77.32x
Exeter St George The 6 1395.35x
Frimley 6 228.14x
Kenton 6 483.87x
St Giles In Fields London 6 64.66x
Chelsea London 5 8.77x
Dawlish 5 170.07x
Exeter St Olave 5 980.39x
Newton St Cyres 5 909.09x
Bristol St George 4 23.31x
Langton By Spilsby 3 2142.86x
Leeds 3 2.83x
Reigate Foreign 3 30.06x
Whippingham 3 102.04x
Bovey Tracey 2 144.93x
Paddington London 2 2.87x
Ashburton 1 53.19x
Bathwick 1 29.67x
Clist Honiton 1 500.00x
Colebrooke 1 217.39x
Exeter St Lawrence 1 333.33x
Friern Barnet 1 23.98x
Kingskerswell 1 153.85x
Lee 1 10.67x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 1 123.46x
Shoreditch London 1 1.22x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 25.64x
Taunton St Mary 1 17.89x
Westminster St John 1 4.34x
Wimbledon 1 9.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 13
Mary 9
Sarah 9
Jane 6
Emma 5
Annie 4
Bessie 4
Ellen 4
Lucy 4
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Jessie 3
Sophia 3
Alice 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Elizth.A. 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Alpha 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Beathia 1
Bella 1
Bertha 1
Claress 1
Edna 1
Elizth. 1
Ellena 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Joanna 1
Johanna 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lizabeth 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
May 1
Rebecca 1
Roas 1
Sophie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 10
George 8
Henry 7
James 7
Samuel 6
Frederick 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Harry 2
Richd. 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Henery 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Simon 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Discombe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Discombe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 194 people were recorded with the Discombe surname. That placed it at #13,097 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Discombe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 258 in 2016. That gives Discombe a modern rank of #16,449.

What does the Discombe map show?

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