NameCensus.

UK surname

Dods

A diminutive surname derived from the medieval personal name Dodd or Dod.

In the 1881 census there were 503 people recorded with the Dods surname, ranking it #6,747 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 297, ranked #14,839, down from #6,747 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Haddington, Pencaitland and Duns. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, Northumberland and Rushcliffe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dods is 747 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 41.0%.

1881 census count

503

Ranked #6,747

Modern count

297

2016, ranked #14,839

Peak year

1851

747 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dods had 503 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,747 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016, ranked #14,839.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 747 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dods surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dods surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dods 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 747 #3,542
1861 historical 553 #4,760
1881 historical 503 #6,747
1891 historical 427 #8,391
1901 historical 452 #8,676
1911 historical 230 #13,686
1997 modern 264 #14,734
1998 modern 264 #15,119
1999 modern 262 #15,308
2000 modern 273 #14,828
2001 modern 264 #14,958
2002 modern 265 #15,197
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 260 #15,250
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 261 #15,444
2008 modern 264 #15,468
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 283 #15,363
2011 modern 282 #15,233
2012 modern 293 #14,742
2013 modern 295 #14,918
2014 modern 301 #14,809
2015 modern 295 #14,935
2016 modern 297 #14,839

Geography

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Where Dods' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Haddington, Pencaitland, Duns, London parishes and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, Northumberland, Rushcliffe and Galashiels North. 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 Haddington Haddington
2 Pencaitland Haddington
3 Duns Berwick
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 001 Darlington
2 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
4 Rushcliffe 013 Rushcliffe
5 Galashiels North Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dods

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dods

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Dods surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dods household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dods is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dods is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dods falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dods

The surname DODS has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dodd," which referred to a round-topped hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have originally been a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a distinctive hill or mound.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a person named John Dodde is listed. This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

In the 16th century, the DODS surname appears in various historical records, including the Register of the University of Oxford, where a William Doddes is mentioned in 1591. This indicates that individuals with this surname were pursuing higher education during this period.

The DODS name also has connections to place names in England. For example, there is a village called Dodsworth in Yorkshire, which may have been derived from a similar Old English word meaning "hill or mound of a man named Dod."

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname DODS include:

1. Marcus Dods (1786-1838), a Scottish minister and author known for his work on biblical exegesis. 2. John Dods (1825-1908), a Scottish theologian and professor at the University of Edinburgh. 3. William Dods (1837-1909), a Scottish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits. 4. Henry Dods (1844-1915), a British soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Zulu War. 5. Alfred Dods (1893-1972), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.

The DODS surname has a long and varied history, with its origins rooted in the topographic features of England. While the name may have started as a descriptive term for someone living near a distinctive hill or mound, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, academics, artists, and military figures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dods families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dods 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. Midlothian leads with 79 Dods' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.07x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 79 12.07x
Berwickshire 70 118.28x
East Lothian 59 91.15x
Lanarkshire 52 3.29x
Roxburghshire 32 36.15x
Middlesex 28 0.57x
Kent 23 1.38x
Northumberland 22 3.03x
Surrey 22 0.92x
Lincolnshire 20 2.56x
Yorkshire 19 0.39x
Lancashire 10 0.17x
Fife 9 3.11x
Cheshire 7 0.65x
Staffordshire 7 0.42x
Durham 6 0.41x
Warwickshire 6 0.49x
Suffolk 4 0.67x
Hertfordshire 3 0.89x
Northamptonshire 3 0.65x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.52x
Gloucestershire 2 0.21x
Hampshire 2 0.20x
Perthshire 2 0.91x
Selkirkshire 2 4.52x
Sussex 2 0.24x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.22x
Angus 1 0.22x
Ayrshire 1 0.27x
Berkshire 1 0.27x
Devon 1 0.10x
Renfrewshire 1 0.26x
Stirlingshire 1 0.55x
Wiltshire 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. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 40 Dods' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.19x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 40 15.19x
Barony 21 5.25x
Dunse 20 356.51x
Dalkeith 17 131.58x
Lambeth 13 3.05x
Kelso 12 136.05x
Rutherglen 12 51.75x
Fogo 11 1410.26x
Greenlaw 11 526.32x
Stenton 11 1100.00x
Lauder 10 305.81x
Garvald 9 703.13x
Sculcoates 9 11.72x
Tranent 9 102.86x
Glasgow 8 2.85x
Haddington 8 83.68x
Higham 8 355.56x
Leeds 8 2.93x
Melrose 8 104.58x
Bushbury 7 236.49x
Humbie 7 457.52x
Sale 7 52.91x
Aston 6 1.77x
Langton 6 705.88x
Mile End Old Town London 6 5.77x
Newington 6 3.32x
St Maryle Wigford 6 98.85x
Wallsend 6 26.02x
Berwick Upon Tweed 5 32.45x
Boston 5 21.09x
Broughton In Salford 5 9.43x
Coldstream 5 116.82x
Donington 5 177.94x
Holywell 5 133.69x
St George Martyr London 5 50.51x
St Pancras London 5 1.27x
Stoke Newington London 5 13.13x
Wilton 5 51.49x
Cupar 4 31.80x
Dirleton 4 157.48x
Gorleston 4 26.46x
Govan 4 1.02x
Greenwich 4 5.14x
Lanark 4 31.45x
Lewisham 4 4.50x
Polworth 4 1052.63x
Ashford 3 18.47x
Castleton 3 78.95x
Duddingston 3 22.83x
Dunbar 3 33.04x
Dunfermline 3 6.74x
Eckford 3 196.08x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 3 19.37x
Edinburgh Canongate 3 18.01x
Hexham 3 26.67x
Margate St John Baptist 3 9.83x
Morham 3 857.14x
North Bedburn 3 73.89x
Peterborough 3 9.01x
St Albans St Peter 3 26.39x
Carluke 2 13.94x
Crook Billy Row 2 10.74x
Edinburgh Greenside 2 23.12x
Edinburgh Trinity 2 94.79x
Edrom 2 79.05x
Kensington London 2 0.74x
Kirkcaldy 2 13.94x
Kirkintilloch 2 11.21x
Levenshulme 2 33.50x
Manchester 2 0.77x
Penge 2 6.41x
Prestonkirk 2 61.73x
South Leith 2 2.71x
St Luke London 2 2.55x
Westgate 2 4.44x
Whittinghame 2 186.92x
Aboyne 1 41.84x
Devonport 1 8.55x
Logie 1 12.71x
Rievaulx 1 263.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Jane 6
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Fanny 4
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Emma 3
Frances 3
Margaret 3
Adah 2
Alice 2
Daisy 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Martha 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
C.A. 1
Cataline 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Kathie 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Maud 1
May 1
Nellie 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 12
John 11
William 9
Charles 7
James 5
Robert 5
Edward 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
Dlancey 2
George 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
Bertrand 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hy.E. 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Lawrence 1
Louis 1
Lowerence 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Robt.L. 1
Thos. 1
Weatherbun 1

FAQ

Dods surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dods surname in 1881?

In 1881, 503 people were recorded with the Dods surname. That placed it at #6,747 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dods surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016. That gives Dods a modern rank of #14,839.

What does the Dods surname mean?

A diminutive surname derived from the medieval personal name Dodd or Dod.

What does the Dods map show?

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