NameCensus.

UK surname

Dix

French occupational surname for a joiner or carpenter, derived from Old French dix, meaning "wood-cutter."

In the 1881 census there were 2,962 people recorded with the Dix surname, ranking it #1,509 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,731, ranked #1,820, down from #1,509 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, West Oxfordshire and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dix is 4,006 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.0%.

1881 census count

2,962

Ranked #1,509

Modern count

3,731

2016, ranked #1,820

Peak year

1999

4,006 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dix had 2,962 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,509 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,731 in 2016, ranked #1,820.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,617 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dix surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dix surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dix 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 1,898 #1,527
1881 historical 2,962 #1,509
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 3,617 #1,549
1997 modern 3,710 #1,747
1998 modern 3,978 #1,700
1999 modern 4,006 #1,698
2000 modern 3,968 #1,710
2001 modern 3,867 #1,712
2002 modern 3,894 #1,741
2003 modern 3,815 #1,744
2004 modern 3,787 #1,752
2005 modern 3,697 #1,764
2006 modern 3,652 #1,789
2007 modern 3,689 #1,787
2008 modern 3,715 #1,785
2009 modern 3,815 #1,780
2010 modern 3,865 #1,799
2011 modern 3,823 #1,793
2012 modern 3,707 #1,816
2013 modern 3,828 #1,790
2014 modern 3,827 #1,801
2015 modern 3,755 #1,814
2016 modern 3,731 #1,820

Geography

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Where Dix' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, West Oxfordshire and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 West Oxfordshire 001 West Oxfordshire
3 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Bath and North East Somerset 023 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dix

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dix

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

Dix 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

Dix falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dix

The surname DIX is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "dis" meaning "the tenth". It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to the tenth son or a tax collector who collected tithes (one-tenth of a person's income). The name is first recorded in England in the 12th century Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Richard le Dis, who was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as holding lands in Oxfordshire. Another early record is that of Roger Dix, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199. The surname is also found in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Dyk" and "Dyke".

In the 16th century, the name is recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, London, where Thomas Dix was christened in 1563. The variant spelling "Dicks" is also found in this period, with John Dicks being recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1568.

The name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Jasper Dix (1510-1578), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1572-1573. Another prominent bearer of the name was Dorothy Dix (1870-1951), an American journalist and advice columnist who gained national fame for her syndicated column in the early 20th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dix include:

1. John Adams Dix (1798-1879), an American politician who served as Secretary of the Treasury and Governor of New York. 2. Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802-1887), an American social reformer and advocate for the humane treatment of the mentally ill. 3. Otto Dix (1891-1969), a German painter and printmaker, noted for his harsh and satirical works depicting the brutality of war and the decadence of German society. 4. John Dix (1884-1948), an English cricketer who played for Worcestershire and captained the English Test team between 1922 and 1926. 5. Morgan Dix (1827-1908), an American Episcopal clergyman who served as the Rector of Trinity Church in New York City for over four decades.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dix families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dix 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. Norfolk leads with 353 Dix' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.96x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 353 7.96x
Middlesex 311 1.08x
Gloucestershire 287 5.07x
Staffordshire 248 2.55x
Somerset 215 4.63x
Oxfordshire 177 9.94x
Surrey 148 1.05x
Northamptonshire 118 4.35x
Monmouthshire 105 5.04x
Glamorgan 94 1.87x
Lancashire 94 0.27x
Yorkshire 88 0.31x
Warwickshire 76 1.04x
Hampshire 74 1.25x
Durham 66 0.77x
Essex 63 1.11x
Suffolk 62 1.76x
Berkshire 52 2.40x
Buckinghamshire 49 2.81x
Bedfordshire 43 2.88x
Sussex 28 0.58x
Worcestershire 27 0.72x
Kent 23 0.23x
Northumberland 23 0.54x
Wiltshire 21 0.82x
Cheshire 17 0.27x
Hertfordshire 13 0.65x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.31x
Derbyshire 11 0.24x
Herefordshire 10 0.85x
Shropshire 9 0.36x
Leicestershire 6 0.19x
Devon 5 0.08x
Lincolnshire 5 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.22x
Merionethshire 3 0.57x
Royal Navy 3 0.87x
Cardiganshire 2 0.28x
Cornwall 2 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.22x
Brecknockshire 1 0.17x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.15x
West Lothian 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 73 Dix' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.73x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 73 16.73x
Stoke Upon Trent 54 5.23x
Olney 40 165.91x
High Littleton 38 496.73x
Bedminster 32 7.33x
Lambeth 31 1.23x
Saffron Walden 31 51.53x
St Pancras London 30 1.29x
Islington London 29 1.04x
Stafford St Mary 29 21.04x
Flitwick 28 346.11x
Portsea 28 2.42x
Westoe 28 5.76x
Salford 27 723.86x
Christchurch 24 37.20x
Coventry St Michael 24 10.27x
St Marylebone London 24 1.56x
Bishopwearmouth 23 3.12x
Dunwich 22 890.69x
Lakenham 22 34.92x
Bitton Oldland 21 36.31x
Liverpool 21 1.01x
Southrepps 21 244.76x
Camberwell 20 1.09x
Asthall 19 513.51x
Aston 19 0.95x
Great Yarmouth 19 5.17x
St Woollos 19 8.16x
Birmingham 18 0.74x
Frome 18 16.21x
Fulham London 18 4.30x
Mile End Old Town London 18 2.93x
Shepton Mallet 18 34.56x
Kingsthorpe 17 56.38x
Stone 17 13.65x
Wolstanton 17 5.75x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 16 75.83x
Heacham 16 162.27x
Westbury On Trym 16 8.35x
Bethnal Green London 15 1.20x
Castle Church 15 25.63x
Clifton 15 5.24x
East Winch 15 375.94x
Kingham 15 245.90x
Croydon 14 1.79x
Llanrhidian Lower 14 299.15x
New Houghton 14 804.60x
Risca 14 35.61x
Southampton St Mary 14 3.77x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 13 2.44x
Cawston 13 119.82x
Hampstead London 13 2.89x
Kettering 13 11.85x
Llanover 13 18.25x
Northampton St Sepulchre 13 9.42x
Newcastle Under Lyme 12 6.97x
Newington 12 1.13x
Newport 12 12.06x
Norwich St Paul 12 45.20x
Rothwell 12 44.04x
Salt Enson 12 283.69x
Sculcoates 12 2.65x
Buckland Dinham 11 245.54x
Charlton Kings 11 28.10x
Clase 11 5.89x
Ensham 11 119.18x
Everton 11 1.01x
Heigham 11 4.62x
Hornsey 11 3.02x
Merthyr Tydfil 11 2.28x
Tubney 11 674.85x
Wigan 11 2.30x
Ampthill 10 44.84x
Cardiff St John 10 6.10x
Church Eaton 10 152.67x
Egham 10 11.59x
Geddington 10 114.55x
Northampton Priory St 10 6.14x
Parham 10 227.27x
Wiveton 10 549.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 174
Elizabeth 123
Sarah 92
Emma 60
Ann 56
Eliza 47
Annie 44
Ellen 44
Emily 44
Alice 41
Jane 39
Hannah 30
Martha 30
Harriet 25
Fanny 22
Maria 22
Florence 21
Edith 20
Ada 19
Charlotte 19
Kate 19
Margaret 18
Susan 16
Louisa 15
Agnes 14
Matilda 14
Caroline 13
Anne 12
Harriett 12
Rose 12
Clara 11
Amelia 10
Catherine 10
Lucy 10
Amy 9
Anna 9
Esther 9
Sophia 9
Gertrude 8
Elizth. 7
Julia 7
Lydia 7
Minnie 7
Selina 7
Jessie 6
Maud 6
Flora 5
Frances 5
Henrietta 5
Lizzie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 173
John 127
George 121
Thomas 96
James 91
Charles 80
Henry 64
Robert 48
Joseph 44
Alfred 37
Samuel 35
Arthur 34
Frederick 28
Albert 27
Edward 25
Richard 23
Walter 20
Frank 18
Harry 18
Ernest 16
Herbert 13
Edwin 12
Stephen 11
Benjamin 8
Wm. 7
David 6
Geo. 6
Isaac 6
Matthew 6
Daniel 5
Earnest 5
Horace 5
Mark 5
Nathaniel 5
Eli 4
Peter 4
Francis 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Job 3
Reginald 3
Thos. 3
Absolam 2
Allen 2
Jesse 2
Jonah 2
Josiah 2
Leonard 2
Levi 2
Lewis 2

FAQ

Dix surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dix surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,962 people were recorded with the Dix surname. That placed it at #1,509 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dix surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,731 in 2016. That gives Dix a modern rank of #1,820.

What does the Dix surname mean?

French occupational surname for a joiner or carpenter, derived from Old French dix, meaning "wood-cutter."

What does the Dix map show?

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