NameCensus.

UK surname

Dobbie

A Scottish surname referring to a small valley or hollow place.

In the 1881 census there were 1,314 people recorded with the Dobbie surname, ranking it #3,121 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,453, ranked #4,233, down from #3,121 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Denny, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge and Craigend and Ruchazie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dobbie is 1,535 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.6%.

1881 census count

1,314

Ranked #3,121

Modern count

1,453

2016, ranked #4,233

Peak year

1901

1,535 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dobbie had 1,314 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,121 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,453 in 2016, ranked #4,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,535 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dobbie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dobbie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dobbie 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 887 #3,087
1861 historical 953 #2,908
1881 historical 1,314 #3,121
1891 historical 1,372 #3,164
1901 historical 1,535 #3,354
1911 historical 320 #10,932
1997 modern 1,410 #4,117
1998 modern 1,473 #4,116
1999 modern 1,490 #4,111
2000 modern 1,463 #4,140
2001 modern 1,436 #4,129
2002 modern 1,469 #4,140
2003 modern 1,415 #4,186
2004 modern 1,439 #4,133
2005 modern 1,418 #4,148
2006 modern 1,390 #4,220
2007 modern 1,397 #4,237
2008 modern 1,405 #4,248
2009 modern 1,448 #4,230
2010 modern 1,473 #4,246
2011 modern 1,454 #4,245
2012 modern 1,423 #4,246
2013 modern 1,423 #4,312
2014 modern 1,450 #4,284
2015 modern 1,427 #4,291
2016 modern 1,453 #4,233

Geography

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Where Dobbies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Denny, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, St. Ninians and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge, Craigend and Ruchazie, Tillicoultry and Sunderland. 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 Denny Stirling
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 St. Ninians Stirling
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
2 Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge Fife
3 Craigend and Ruchazie Glasgow City
4 Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire
5 Sunderland 023 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dobbie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dobbie

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dobbie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dobbie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dobbie 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

Dobbie is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dobbie falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dobbie

The surname Dobbie is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dobach," which means a small clump or mound, referring to the type of place where the original bearer of the name may have lived or worked.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dobbie can be found in the Scottish parish records of Lanarkshire from the late 16th century. The name was particularly common in the areas around Glasgow and the surrounding counties.

In the 17th century, the Dobbie surname appears in various historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Scotland. This suggests that the name was well-established and represented a family of some means during that time period.

One notable individual with the surname Dobbie was William Dobbie, a Scottish botanist and plant collector born in 1809. He made significant contributions to the study of flora in the Himalayas and other parts of Asia. He died in 1884.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir James Dobbie, a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist who lived from 1864 to 1935. He founded the Dobbie & Co. textile manufacturing company and was instrumental in the development of the town of Beith, Scotland.

In the literary world, Pauline Dobbie was a Scottish author and playwright who lived from 1909 to 1992. She is best known for her novel "The House on the Shore," which was published in 1953.

The Dobbie surname has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Dobbie's Loan and Dobbie's Brae, which were likely named after individuals or families with the surname.

While the name Dobbie has Scottish roots, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including England, North America, and Australia, as a result of migration and the Scottish diaspora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dobbie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dobbie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 390 Dobbies recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.45x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 390 9.45x
Stirlingshire 198 42.07x
Midlothian 82 4.80x
Lancashire 80 0.53x
Ayrshire 70 7.33x
Fife 63 8.34x
Perthshire 50 8.73x
Durham 48 1.26x
Renfrewshire 36 3.64x
West Lothian 31 16.13x
Clackmannanshire 23 21.83x
Gloucestershire 20 0.80x
Yorkshire 19 0.15x
Dumfriesshire 18 6.39x
Middlesex 18 0.14x
Angus 15 1.27x
Northumberland 13 0.68x
Kent 12 0.28x
Selkirkshire 12 10.40x
Surrey 11 0.18x
Cumberland 10 0.91x
Devon 10 0.38x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.76x
Berwickshire 8 5.18x
Buteshire 8 10.35x
Dunbartonshire 6 1.75x
Norfolk 6 0.31x
Argyllshire 5 1.41x
East Lothian 5 2.96x
Sussex 5 0.23x
Inverness-shire 4 1.05x
Warwickshire 4 0.12x
Hampshire 2 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 1.08x
Oxfordshire 2 0.25x
Roxburghshire 2 0.87x
Royal Navy 2 1.32x
Westmorland 2 0.71x
Berkshire 1 0.10x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.04x
Ross-shire 1 0.29x
Wigtownshire 1 0.59x
Worcestershire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 136 Dobbies recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.02x.

Place Total Index
Barony 136 13.02x
Govan 82 8.03x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 45 6.54x
Dunfermline 43 37.02x
Glasgow 41 5.60x
Slamannan 35 135.82x
St Ninians 27 57.88x
Toxteth Park 25 4.88x
Bothkennar 21 149.47x
Hamilton 21 18.25x
Cambusnethan 20 21.82x
Old Monkland 20 12.21x
Alva 18 80.18x
New Monkland 18 14.76x
Ayr 17 37.72x
Denny 17 67.92x
Alloa 16 31.31x
Boness 16 60.40x
Kilsyth 16 53.32x
Falkirk 15 13.62x
Tudhoe 14 42.16x
West Derby 14 3.16x
Abernethy 13 173.80x
Larbert 13 46.21x
Dalmellington 11 39.17x
Cathcart 10 18.69x
Faversham 10 24.09x
Girvan 10 41.72x
Polmont 10 57.57x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 9 4.07x
Annan 9 37.17x
Backworth 9 178.93x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 9 19.65x
Liverpool 9 0.98x
Shettleston 9 24.36x
South Leith 9 4.68x
Battersea 8 1.70x
Carriden 8 91.85x
Dalgety 8 138.65x
Galashiels 8 18.74x
Legerwood 8 327.87x
Maryhill 8 9.90x
Oldham 8 1.64x
Rothesay 8 21.37x
St Quivox 8 24.78x
Stainton 8 217.39x
Abbey 7 4.64x
Benfieldside 7 28.03x
Harpurhey 7 33.32x
Inchinnan 7 313.90x
Lesmahagow 7 16.04x
Logie 7 34.06x
Maybole 7 24.07x
Middleham 7 195.53x
Middlestone 7 91.98x
Muiravonside 7 58.58x
Redgorton 7 110.24x
Clackmannan 6 30.12x
Dalserf 6 14.57x
Dunbarney 6 181.82x
Edinburgh St Georges 6 16.92x
Linlithgow 6 24.35x
Montrose 6 8.38x
Pulham St Mary Magdalen 6 121.95x
Bishop Auckland 5 9.82x
Clifton 5 3.95x
Craig 5 43.78x
East Budleigh 5 39.97x
Eastwood 5 8.21x
Guisbrough 5 18.10x
Hetton Le Hole 5 10.40x
Inverkip 5 21.45x
Kippen 5 78.99x
Lanark 5 15.06x
Parr 5 9.23x
Shotts 5 10.13x
Tulliallan 5 51.55x
Dalziel 4 9.01x
Ore 4 24.98x
Stirling 4 6.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Jane 9
Annie 8
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Janet 6
Catherine 4
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Margaret 4
Martha 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Christina 2
Eliza 2
Henrietta 2
Katherine 2
Ann 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Cathne. 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizabth.C. 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Elvira 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Jessy 1
Jordina 1
Kate 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
M.D. 1
Maggie 1
Wilson 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
Robert 16
John 15
James 14
Thomas 7
David 5
George 5
Alexander 4
Charles 3
Francis 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Fergus 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Wilson 2
Alva 1
Archibald 1
Archibold 1
Audre 1
C.F. 1
E. 1
Edwin 1
Fettes 1
Fettio 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Luke 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Wallice 1
Williams 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Paul 1

FAQ

Dobbie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dobbie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,314 people were recorded with the Dobbie surname. That placed it at #3,121 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dobbie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,453 in 2016. That gives Dobbie a modern rank of #4,233.

What does the Dobbie surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to a small valley or hollow place.

What does the Dobbie map show?

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