NameCensus.

UK surname

Dockery

An English occupational surname referring to a docker or dock worker.

In the 1881 census there were 133 people recorded with the Dockery surname, ranking it #16,676 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 259, ranked #16,393, up from #16,676 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and St James Westminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ07, St Edmundsbury and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dockery is 272 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 94.7%.

1881 census count

133

Ranked #16,676

Modern count

259

2016, ranked #16,393

Peak year

2009

272 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dockery had 133 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,676 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016, ranked #16,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 192 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dockery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dockery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dockery 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 133 #16,676
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 255 #15,077
1998 modern 269 #14,941
1999 modern 263 #15,267
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 264 #15,236
2003 modern 269 #14,855
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 260 #15,250
2006 modern 262 #15,255
2007 modern 264 #15,344
2008 modern 264 #15,468
2009 modern 272 #15,475
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 262 #16,098
2012 modern 256 #16,253
2013 modern 264 #16,191
2014 modern 268 #16,111
2015 modern 259 #16,409
2016 modern 259 #16,393

Geography

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Where Dockerys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, St James Westminster and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ07, St Edmundsbury, Birmingham, Rossendale and Paisley Central. 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 St James Westminster London (West Districts)
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ07 West Dunbartonshire
2 St Edmundsbury 014 St Edmundsbury
3 Birmingham 005 Birmingham
4 Rossendale 004 Rossendale
5 Paisley Central Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dockery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dockery

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dockery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dockery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dockery 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

Dockery is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dockery 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 Dockery 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 - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dockery, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dockery

The surname Dockery is of English origin, deriving from the medieval occupation of a docker or docker-man, referring to those who made wooden containers called dockers or docks used for storing goods. The name is first recorded in the 13th century, with early spellings including Docker, Dockere, and Dokker.

The name is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of England, particularly in areas like Essex and Suffolk, where the trade of making and repairing wooden containers was prevalent due to the maritime industries. Records from the 14th century show instances of the surname in these regions, indicating its presence among craftsmen and tradesmen.

One of the earliest known references to the name Dockery can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from 1266, which mention a John le Dockar. This entry suggests that the name had already established itself as a hereditary surname by that time.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various parish records and tax rolls across England. Notable individuals bearing the name include William Dockery, who was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1541, and Thomas Dockery, a merchant from Bristol recorded in 1582.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dockery surname gained prominence in various parts of England. One notable figure was John Dockery (1667-1734), a prosperous landowner and magistrate from Lincolnshire. Another was Samuel Dockery (1722-1798), a prominent merchant and ship owner from Liverpool.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold, the Dockery surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 19th century, several individuals with this surname made significant contributions. One such example is Alfred Dockery (1819-1896), a renowned engineer and inventor from Manchester, who patented several innovations in textile machinery.

Other notable individuals bearing the Dockery surname include Sir John Dockery (1837-1921), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire, and Mary Dockery (1871-1938), a celebrated author and feminist activist from Glasgow.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dockery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dockery 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. Lancashire leads with 21 Dockerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.35x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 21 1.35x
Yorkshire 20 1.54x
Surrey 18 2.83x
Warwickshire 17 5.16x
Middlesex 12 0.92x
Hertfordshire 10 11.10x
Devon 7 2.57x
Lincolnshire 5 2.39x
Staffordshire 5 1.13x
Worcestershire 5 2.93x
Cheshire 4 1.39x
Norfolk 4 1.99x
Kent 3 0.67x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.21x
Northumberland 1 0.51x
Oxfordshire 1 1.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 18 Dockerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.56x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 18 21.56x
Birmingham 14 12.74x
Dalton In Furness 11 183.64x
Westminster St James 11 81.85x
Shenley 10 1694.92x
Brightside Bierlow 7 27.56x
East Stonehouse 7 130.60x
Branston 5 781.25x
Selby 5 184.50x
Great Yarmouth 4 24.02x
Sheffield 4 9.70x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 12.18x
Liverpool 3 3.19x
Aston 2 2.20x
Great Malvern 2 56.18x
Lewisham 2 8.41x
Lofthouse 2 103.63x
Macclesfield 2 15.60x
Norton In Moors 2 85.47x
Tamworth 2 84.75x
Yardley 2 45.77x
Allerton 1 270.27x
Barrington 1 357.14x
Bexley 1 25.38x
Crompton 1 22.62x
Ingleby Barwick 1 1666.67x
Leigh 1 48.31x
Manchester 1 1.43x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.59x
Much Woolton 1 47.62x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 1 250.00x
Pownall Fee 1 77.52x
Sutton Coldfield 1 28.90x
Tranmere 1 9.43x
Wakefield 1 10.06x
Westgate 1 8.31x
Wolstanton Chesterton 1 44.44x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 6
Joseph 5
Edward 4
Thomas 4
William 4
George 3
Peter 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Alexander 1
Anthony 1
Charles 1
Cornelius 1
Dennis 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Horrace 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1
Michael 1
Montague 1
Oliver 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1
Roderick 1
Sydney 1
Thady 1
Vincent 1

FAQ

Dockery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dockery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 133 people were recorded with the Dockery surname. That placed it at #16,676 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dockery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016. That gives Dockery a modern rank of #16,393.

What does the Dockery surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a docker or dock worker.

What does the Dockery map show?

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