NameCensus.

UK surname

Dodd

A surname of Welsh origin, derived from the nickname "Dodd" meaning rounded or plump.

In the 1881 census there were 12,112 people recorded with the Dodd surname, ranking it #354 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,750, ranked #400, down from #354 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Wrexham and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dodd is 16,667 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.0%.

1881 census count

12,112

Ranked #354

Modern count

15,750

2016, ranked #400

Peak year

1999

16,667 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dodd had 12,112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #354 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,750 in 2016, ranked #400.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,018 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dodd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dodd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dodd 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 7,836 #357
1861 historical 8,129 #339
1881 historical 12,112 #354
1891 historical 13,104 #332
1901 historical 15,038 #352
1911 historical 16,018 #304
1997 modern 15,953 #379
1998 modern 16,631 #379
1999 modern 16,667 #381
2000 modern 16,534 #383
2001 modern 16,172 #382
2002 modern 16,500 #381
2003 modern 16,098 #380
2004 modern 15,982 #381
2005 modern 15,655 #386
2006 modern 15,633 #388
2007 modern 15,674 #390
2008 modern 15,742 #389
2009 modern 16,061 #392
2010 modern 16,270 #396
2011 modern 15,938 #398
2012 modern 15,671 #399
2013 modern 16,044 #398
2014 modern 16,058 #400
2015 modern 15,882 #400
2016 modern 15,750 #400

Geography

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Where Dodds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Wrexham and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 035 Northumberland
2 Wrexham 015 Wrexham
3 Cheshire West and Chester 022 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
5 Cheshire West and Chester 033 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dodd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dodd

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

Dodd 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dodd

The surname Dodd has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dodd," which referred to a person with a rounded or tufted head of hair. This term may also have been used as a nickname for someone with a rounded or stout physique.

The name was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. Early variations of the spelling included Dod, Dodde, and Doddis. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1208, where a person named William Dod was listed.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be related to the Dodd surname. For example, the village of Dodworth in Yorkshire is mentioned, which could have been derived from the Old English words "dod" and "worth," meaning "rounded enclosure."

One notable historical figure bearing the Dodd surname was Charles Dodd (1672-1743), an English Catholic priest and writer who was executed for his involvement in the Jacobite rising of 1715. Another prominent individual was Ralph Dodd (c. 1756-1822), an English artist known for his portrait miniatures and landscapes.

In the literary world, John Dodd (1779-1868) was a British author and poet, best known for his work "The Beauties of Shakespeare." Additionally, George Dodd (1808-1881) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Dodd's Warehouse in St. Pancras.

Moving into the 20th century, Sir Kenneth Vivian Dodd (1909-1990) was a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Mauritius from 1963 to 1968. He played a significant role in the island's transition to independence.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the Dodd surname who have made notable contributions throughout history in various fields, spanning several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dodd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dodd 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 1,714 Dodds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,714 1.22x
Cheshire 1,613 6.15x
Middlesex 1,016 0.86x
Northumberland 815 4.61x
Staffordshire 795 1.98x
Durham 569 1.61x
Shropshire 511 4.98x
Kent 500 1.23x
Warwickshire 486 1.62x
Surrey 455 0.79x
Yorkshire 443 0.38x
Cumberland 418 4.09x
Devon 313 1.27x
Denbighshire 281 6.26x
Essex 219 0.93x
Derbyshire 138 0.74x
Westmorland 125 4.79x
Flintshire 123 3.85x
Sussex 110 0.55x
Lincolnshire 106 0.56x
Oxfordshire 97 1.32x
Berkshire 95 1.07x
Worcestershire 93 0.60x
Hampshire 92 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 85 0.53x
Glamorgan 81 0.39x
Lanarkshire 79 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 69 0.96x
Cambridgeshire 61 0.81x
Hertfordshire 59 0.72x
Gloucestershire 58 0.25x
Northamptonshire 53 0.47x
Norfolk 51 0.28x
Somerset 46 0.24x
Monmouthshire 45 0.52x
Channel Islands 33 0.94x
Isle of Man 32 1.45x
Suffolk 29 0.20x
Roxburghshire 24 1.12x
Herefordshire 21 0.43x
Brecknockshire 20 0.84x
Renfrewshire 19 0.21x
Cornwall 18 0.13x
Dorset 17 0.22x
Leicestershire 15 0.11x
Ayrshire 13 0.15x
Radnorshire 13 1.36x
Midlothian 12 0.08x
Royal Navy 12 0.85x
Wigtownshire 12 0.76x
Wiltshire 9 0.09x
Anglesey 7 0.33x
Bedfordshire 7 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.30x
Angus 6 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.12x
Cardiganshire 6 0.21x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.11x
Perthshire 3 0.06x
Stirlingshire 3 0.07x
Buteshire 2 0.28x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.08x
Selkirkshire 2 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Fife 1 0.01x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hexham in Northumberland leads with 169 Dodds recorded in 1881 and an index of 61.78x.

Place Total Index
Hexham 169 61.78x
Liverpool 149 1.74x
Aston 140 1.70x
Toxteth Park 140 2.93x
Everton 134 2.98x
Chester St John Baptist 115 24.40x
Ruabon 113 18.31x
Birmingham 107 1.07x
Birkenhead 106 5.07x
Manchester 103 1.62x
Monks Coppenhall 101 10.21x
Islington London 100 0.87x
St Pancras London 89 0.93x
West Derby 88 2.13x
Wolverhampton 81 2.63x
Gateshead 72 2.72x
Bethnal Green London 70 1.36x
Stoke Upon Trent 68 1.60x
Chester St Oswald 66 13.90x
Broughton 65 36.84x
Over 65 24.39x
Salford 63 1.52x
Wolstanton 63 5.17x
Lambeth 62 0.60x
Brampton 61 43.50x
Oldham 61 1.34x
St Marylebone London 61 0.96x
Blackburn 60 1.60x
Hackney London 57 0.86x
Bishopwearmouth 56 1.85x
Hulme 55 1.87x
Mile End Old Town London 55 2.18x
Kirkdale 52 2.19x
West Ham 51 0.99x
Kensington London 49 0.74x
Camberwell 48 0.63x
Shoreditch London 48 0.93x
Barrow In Furness 46 2.40x
Barony 45 0.46x
Chorlton On Medlock 44 1.96x
Sheffield 43 1.15x
Warrington 43 2.57x
Castle Church 42 17.42x
Farlam 42 65.24x
Paddington London 42 0.96x
Ashton Under Lyne 41 1.33x
Tranmere 41 4.25x
Wellington 40 6.93x
Elswick 39 2.76x
Nether Hallam 39 2.45x
Croydon 38 1.18x
Deptford St Paul 38 1.22x
Upton Cum Chalvey 38 13.28x
Ardwick 37 2.91x
Bilston 37 4.76x
Moreton 37 147.94x
West Bromwich 37 1.61x
Portsea 36 0.75x
Dorking 35 9.00x
Newington 35 0.80x
Wye 35 55.78x
Haydon 34 35.17x
Chester St Mary On Hill 33 14.67x
Battersea 32 0.73x
St George Hanover Square 32 1.53x
Wallasey 32 35.85x
Westgate 32 2.92x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 31 2.83x
Kendal 30 6.28x
Newcastle Under Lyme 30 4.23x
Audley 29 7.31x
Brighton 29 0.72x
Madeley 29 7.71x
Preston 29 0.77x
Warwick St Mary 29 11.15x
Broseley 28 15.35x
Chollerton 28 56.38x
Finchley 28 6.15x
Allendale 27 16.47x
Gresford Gwersyllt 27 19.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 909
Elizabeth 543
Sarah 444
Jane 285
Ann 272
Margaret 196
Emma 189
Alice 174
Annie 168
Hannah 161
Eliza 145
Ellen 142
Martha 116
Emily 107
Catherine 88
Edith 81
Harriet 81
Isabella 75
Fanny 65
Louisa 63
Maria 63
Ada 55
Florence 55
Agnes 54
Charlotte 48
Frances 48
Anne 47
Caroline 46
Lucy 43
Harriett 42
Kate 36
Clara 34
Esther 32
Susan 32
Amy 30
Elizth. 29
Amelia 28
Eleanor 28
Minnie 27
Rebecca 25
Rose 24
Lizzie 20
Julia 19
Betsy 18
Helen 18
Sophia 18
Susannah 18
Barbara 17
Ruth 17
Jessie 16

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 814
William 773
Thomas 541
George 385
James 334
Joseph 273
Henry 240
Charles 191
Edward 161
Robert 160
Samuel 136
Arthur 128
Alfred 123
Richard 117
Frederick 76
Walter 66
Albert 64
Harry 47
Edwin 45
Wm. 44
Ernest 39
Herbert 39
David 38
Frank 38
Isaac 35
Francis 34
Thos. 31
Peter 28
Benjamin 27
Ralph 25
Michael 21
Daniel 20
Mark 19
Fred 18
Andrew 17
Matthew 14
Abraham 13
Christopher 13
Adam 12
Robt. 11
Stephen 11
Willm. 11
Fredrick 10
Jesse 10
Jonathan 10
Richd. 10
Geo. 9
Philip 9
Sydney 9
Phillip 8

FAQ

Dodd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dodd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,112 people were recorded with the Dodd surname. That placed it at #354 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dodd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,750 in 2016. That gives Dodd a modern rank of #400.

What does the Dodd surname mean?

A surname of Welsh origin, derived from the nickname "Dodd" meaning rounded or plump.

What does the Dodd map show?

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