NameCensus.

UK surname

Dodwell

A habitational surname derived from a location name meaning "deep spring or pool well".

In the 1881 census there were 485 people recorded with the Dodwell surname, ranking it #6,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 771, ranked #7,126, down from #6,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace and Cheltenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheltenham, South Kesteven and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dodwell is 822 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.0%.

1881 census count

485

Ranked #6,931

Modern count

771

2016, ranked #7,126

Peak year

2010

822 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dodwell had 485 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 771 in 2016, ranked #7,126.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 727 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dodwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dodwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dodwell 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 340 #7,497
1881 historical 485 #6,931
1891 historical 624 #6,199
1901 historical 723 #6,121
1911 historical 727 #5,889
1997 modern 787 #6,630
1998 modern 808 #6,703
1999 modern 810 #6,730
2000 modern 792 #6,831
2001 modern 780 #6,776
2002 modern 815 #6,668
2003 modern 794 #6,692
2004 modern 797 #6,687
2005 modern 777 #6,756
2006 modern 775 #6,801
2007 modern 766 #6,938
2008 modern 778 #6,912
2009 modern 805 #6,851
2010 modern 822 #6,866
2011 modern 799 #6,961
2012 modern 778 #7,018
2013 modern 784 #7,085
2014 modern 786 #7,107
2015 modern 779 #7,082
2016 modern 771 #7,126

Geography

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Where Dodwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheltenham, South Kesteven, Northumberland, South Hams and Harborough. 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 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheltenham 006 Cheltenham
2 South Kesteven 003 South Kesteven
3 Northumberland 040 Northumberland
4 South Hams 004 South Hams
5 Harborough 003 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dodwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dodwell

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

Dodwell is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dodwell

The surname Dodwell has its origins in England, with records indicating it arose during the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dod," meaning a rounded hill or mound, and "well," referring to a spring or source of water. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a well or spring on a small hill or elevated land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1197, which mention a Robert Dodewelle. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with variations of the name, such as William de Dodewell and John de Dodewelle, suggesting the name was well-established by that time.

The Dodwell surname has been linked to various locations in England, including the village of Dodwell in Oxfordshire and places like Dodworth in Yorkshire and Doddenhill in Worcestershire. These place names likely share a similar etymology, indicating the name's connection to geographical features.

A notable historical figure bearing the surname was Henry Dodwell (1641-1711), an English scholar and theologian who wrote extensively on ecclesiastical history and chronology. Another influential figure was William Dodwell (1709-1785), an English mathematician and educator who served as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.

Other individuals of note include Sir John Dodwell (1555-1629), an English lawyer and member of parliament, and Edward Dodwell (1767-1832), an English traveler and writer who documented his travels through Greece and the Middle East.

The Dodwell surname also appears in the records of the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. While the exact spelling may vary, entries such as "Dodewelle" and "Dodewelle" suggest the name's presence during the Norman period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dodwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dodwell 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. Warwickshire leads with 84 Dodwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.04x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 84 7.04x
Buckinghamshire 76 26.57x
Gloucestershire 74 7.98x
Middlesex 50 1.06x
Oxfordshire 32 10.95x
Surrey 32 1.39x
Shropshire 17 4.16x
Essex 11 1.18x
Staffordshire 10 0.63x
Yorkshire 10 0.21x
Bedfordshire 9 3.67x
Kent 9 0.56x
Lancashire 8 0.14x
Lanarkshire 7 0.46x
Northamptonshire 7 1.57x
Herefordshire 6 3.09x
Hertfordshire 6 1.84x
Sussex 6 0.75x
Berkshire 5 1.41x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.78x
Worcestershire 5 0.81x
Glamorgan 4 0.49x
Norfolk 4 0.55x
Cheshire 3 0.29x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.52x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.19x
Lincolnshire 1 0.13x
Suffolk 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 55 Dodwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.84x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 55 76.84x
Long Crendon 33 1727.75x
Birmingham 31 7.80x
Coventry St Michael 17 44.36x
Islington London 14 3.05x
Lambeth 13 3.15x
Brill 10 476.19x
Shrewsbury St Julian 10 98.91x
Handsworth 9 22.87x
Rugby 9 55.76x
Waddesdon 9 656.93x
Kensington London 8 3.04x
Leighton Buzzard 8 75.90x
Sheffield 8 5.36x
Barony 7 1.81x
Charlton Kings 7 109.03x
Haddenham 7 297.87x
Middleton Cheney 7 360.82x
Deddington 6 189.27x
Gt Haseley 6 540.54x
Kenilworth 6 89.15x
St Pancras London 6 1.58x
Tottenham 6 7.96x
West Ham 6 2.91x
Brighton 5 3.11x
Clapham 5 8.45x
Hereford All Sts 5 56.24x
Knowle 5 204.08x
Nottingham St Mary 5 3.03x
Oxford St Clement 5 67.84x
Romford 5 33.88x
St Marylebone London 5 1.98x
Warwick St Nicholas 5 57.14x
Bromsgrove 4 19.24x
Clerkenwell London 4 3.58x
Clewer 4 27.49x
Fillongley 4 235.29x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 23.56x
Preston 4 2.66x
Pyle 4 263.16x
Shrewsbury St Mary 4 24.80x
Watford 4 15.82x
Aston 3 0.91x
Battersea 3 1.72x
Birkenhead 3 3.60x
Eynsham 3 162.16x
Hambleden 3 122.45x
Ibstone Stokenchurch 3 576.92x
Newport Pagnell 3 50.17x
Stowe 3 545.45x
Tetsworth 3 434.78x
Thame 3 56.50x
Wilnecote 3 87.72x
Witney 3 61.35x
Woolwich 3 5.03x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 6.46x
Burnham 2 54.79x
Camberwell 2 0.66x
Charlton On Otmoor 2 232.56x
Chertsey 2 13.42x
Dursley 2 52.36x
Godstone 2 48.43x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.32x
Prestbury 2 86.96x
Sevenoaks 2 15.28x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 9.77x
Tonbridge 2 3.44x
Bierton With Broughton 1 76.34x
Burton Pedwardine 1 303.03x
Cirencester 1 7.96x
Dinton 1 89.29x
Holdenhurst 1 3.93x
Moss Side 1 3.39x
Sandhurst 1 14.53x
St Martin In Fields 1 3.53x
Stretford 1 3.24x
Swaffham 1 16.89x
Towersey 1 175.44x
Westminster St John 1 1.74x
Westminster St Margaret 1 4.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Emma 17
Elizabeth 16
Annie 11
Eliza 11
Ellen 10
Sarah 10
Alice 7
Florence 7
Edith 6
Frances 6
Maria 6
Anne 5
Agnes 4
Ann 4
Clara 4
Fanny 4
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Gertrude 3
Harriett 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Elsie 2
Ethel 2
Henrietta 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Susan 2
Cathne. 1
Chrstine 1
Elizebeth 1
Emilia 1
Emily 1
Emmiline 1
Joseph 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
L. 1
Lilian 1
Lille 1
Lizzie 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
Thomas 14
George 12
Henry 12
John 12
Alfred 10
Charles 7
Frederick 7
Joseph 7
Walter 7
Arthur 6
Edward 6
James 6
Frank 5
Harry 5
Richard 5
David 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Chas. 3
Edwin 3
Wm. 3
Caleb 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
German 2
Herbert 2
Jabez 2
Job 2
Joshua 2
Louis 2
Philip 2
Robert 2
Bailey 1
Christopher 1
Chrstr. 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Emanuel 1
Ephraim 1
Eyra 1
Frederic 1
Horace 1
Jesse 1
Jethro 1
Joe 1
Leonard 1

FAQ

Dodwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dodwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 485 people were recorded with the Dodwell surname. That placed it at #6,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dodwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 771 in 2016. That gives Dodwell a modern rank of #7,126.

What does the Dodwell surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a location name meaning "deep spring or pool well".

What does the Dodwell map show?

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