NameCensus.

UK surname

Diss

A variant of the English surname "Dace," derived from a French place name.

In the 1881 census there were 237 people recorded with the Diss surname, ranking it #11,509 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 336, ranked #13,583, down from #11,509 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, Braintree and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Diss is 411 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.8%.

1881 census count

237

Ranked #11,509

Modern count

336

2016, ranked #13,583

Peak year

1911

411 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Diss had 237 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,509 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016, ranked #13,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 411 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Diss surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Diss surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Diss 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 237 #11,509
1891 historical 288 #11,450
1901 historical 357 #10,280
1911 historical 411 #9,112
1997 modern 359 #11,956
1998 modern 375 #11,939
1999 modern 370 #12,124
2000 modern 369 #12,106
2001 modern 367 #11,968
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 354 #12,319
2004 modern 351 #12,422
2005 modern 338 #12,698
2006 modern 331 #12,990
2007 modern 332 #13,087
2008 modern 334 #13,142
2009 modern 340 #13,244
2010 modern 353 #13,156
2011 modern 353 #13,004
2012 modern 346 #13,070
2013 modern 348 #13,239
2014 modern 346 #13,370
2015 modern 335 #13,622
2016 modern 336 #13,583

Geography

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Where Diss' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, Braintree, County Durham and Telford and Wrekin. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire
2 Braintree 004 Braintree
3 Braintree 005 Braintree
4 County Durham 001 County Durham
5 Telford and Wrekin 014 Telford and Wrekin

Forenames

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First names often paired with Diss

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Diss

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Diss surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Diss household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Diss is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Diss 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

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

Meaning and origin of Diss

The surname DISS has its origins in the United Kingdom, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dīsc," which means "dish" or "platter." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who made or sold dishes, or perhaps a server of food.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de Disce," referring to a location or manor with a similar name.

During the medieval period, variations of the name, such as "Dische" and "Dyssh," were found in various records and documents across different regions of England. It is likely that the name was initially associated with a specific place or village, before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Richard Diss was recorded as a landowner in the county of Norfolk. Another notable individual was John Diss, a member of the Parliament of England in the late 14th century.

As the surname spread and evolved over time, it took on different spellings and variations, including "Dysse," "Disse," and "Dyce." One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling "DISS" can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, dating back to the 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the DISS surname include:

1. Thomas Diss (c. 1535-1608), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 2. John Diss (1591-1658), an English ecclesiastical writer and clergyman who published several works on religious topics. 3. William Diss (1655-1721), an English architect and surveyor who was involved in the reconstruction of several churches in London after the Great Fire of 1666. 4. Elizabeth Diss (1770-1845), a British author and playwright known for her works of fiction and dramatic plays. 5. George Diss (1822-1891), a British businessman and philanthropist who established several charitable organizations in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Diss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Diss 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. Essex leads with 79 Diss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.38x.

County Total Index
Essex 79 17.38x
Middlesex 70 3.04x
Cambridgeshire 52 35.66x
Staffordshire 12 1.54x
Surrey 8 0.71x
Kent 5 0.64x
Lincolnshire 3 0.82x
Suffolk 2 0.71x
Yorkshire 2 0.09x
Derbyshire 1 0.28x
Hampshire 1 0.21x
Northamptonshire 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halstead in Essex leads with 31 Diss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 584.91x.

Place Total Index
Halstead 31 584.91x
Sawston 31 2198.58x
West Bergholt 18 2117.65x
Mile End Old Town London 16 32.65x
Hackney London 14 10.85x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 14.56x
Clerkenwell London 10 18.40x
Bromley London 8 15.79x
Chelmsford 8 102.56x
Rochford 8 606.06x
Whittlesford 8 1194.03x
Chelsea London 6 8.65x
South Shoebury 6 327.87x
St Andrewthe Less 6 36.01x
Colchester St Peter 5 274.73x
Lambeth 5 2.49x
Carlton 4 1481.48x
Rochester St Margaret 4 48.31x
Stoke Newington London 4 22.31x
Bethnal Green London 3 3.00x
Holbeach 3 73.17x
St Luke London 3 8.13x
Brinkley 2 869.57x
Great Thurlow 2 645.16x
Hadleigh 2 540.54x
Shoreditch London 2 2.00x
St Marylebone London 2 1.63x
Alfreton 1 9.13x
Battersea 1 1.18x
Camberwell 1 0.68x
Fordham 1 181.82x
Halifax 1 2.99x
Islington London 1 0.45x
Leeds 1 0.78x
Linton 1 71.94x
Milton In Gravesend 1 8.49x
Newington 1 1.18x
Peterborough 1 6.38x
Portsea 1 1.08x
Spitalfields London 1 5.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 10
Emma 10
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Sarah 7
Jane 5
Louisa 5
Ada 4
Alice 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Annie 3
Eleanor 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Gertrude 2
Maud 2
Rebecca 2
Abigail 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Ceilia. 1
Charlotte 1
Cordilia 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Naomie 1
Polley 1
Ruth 1
Sophie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 11
George 10
Henry 7
Thomas 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Albert 4
Frederick 4
James 4
Fredrick 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
David 2
Edgar 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Martin 2
Maurice 2
Edward 1
Elijah 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Gilbert 1
Moses 1
Percival 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Isaac 1
Will 1
Willm. 1
Wm.Hind 1

FAQ

Diss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Diss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 237 people were recorded with the Diss surname. That placed it at #11,509 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Diss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016. That gives Diss a modern rank of #13,583.

What does the Diss surname mean?

A variant of the English surname "Dace," derived from a French place name.

What does the Diss map show?

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