NameCensus.

UK surname

Dodoo

A surname derived from a word meaning "twin" or "pair" in certain African languages.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brent, Manchester and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dodoo is 158 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

2010

158 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Dodoo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dodoo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dodoo 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
1997 modern 80 #29,554
1998 modern 91 #28,806
1999 modern 88 #29,287
2000 modern 98 #27,988
2001 modern 92 #28,528
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 151 #22,816
2010 modern 158 #22,692
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 148 #23,457
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

Back to top

Where Dodoos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brent, Manchester, Croydon and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brent 027 Brent
2 Manchester 013 Manchester
3 Croydon 025 Croydon
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 002 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Manchester 009 Manchester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dodoo

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dodoo

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Dodoo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Dodoo 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dodoo is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dodoo 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

Dodoo falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dodoo is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

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

Meaning and origin of Dodoo

The surname DODOO is believed to have originated in the western African nation of Ghana. It is thought to have roots dating back to the 16th century and the Akan people, a meta-ethnicity that includes the Ashanti and Fante groups. The name may have derived from the Twi word "dodo" meaning "plantation" or "grove".

One of the earliest recorded references to the DODOO name appears in Dutch merchant records from the late 1600s documenting trade along the Gold Coast of West Africa. A merchant by the name of Kwasi DODOO is mentioned as facilitating trade between the Dutch West India Company and local Fante chiefs in the area around modern-day Cape Coast.

In the 19th century, the Baptist missionary Thomas DODOO (1822-1898) was influential in spreading Christianity and establishing schools among the Ga people in the coastal regions near the capital of Accra. He is considered an important figure in Ghana's educational history.

The DODOO name also appears in anthropological records and oral histories related to the Ashanti kingdoms and their wars against the British in the late 1800s. Nana Akosua DODOO (1835-1910) was a queen mother noted for her role in diplomacy and peace negotiations.

Moving into the 20th century, Professor Samuel Nae DODOO (1922-2002) was a renowned Ghanaian agriculturalist and leading expert in tropical crop science. He helped modernize farming methods and increase productivity across West Africa.

Finally, Dr. Steve Kofi DODOO (1942-2021) had a distinguished diplomatic career, serving as Ghana's ambassador to several countries and later as President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council from 1995-1996. He was widely respected for his efforts to promote sustainable development on the global stage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Dodoo surname: questions and answers

How common is the Dodoo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Dodoo a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Dodoo surname mean?

A surname derived from a word meaning "twin" or "pair" in certain African languages.

What does the Dodoo map show?

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