NameCensus.

UK surname

Dolbear

A surname from an occupation relating to wood turning or carpentry.

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Dolbear surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 278, ranked #15,579, up from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, Moretonhampstead and Uley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Weymouth and Portland, New Forest and Stroud.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dolbear is 278 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 198.9%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

278

2016, ranked #15,579

Peak year

2016

278 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dolbear had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 278 in 2016, ranked #15,579.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dolbear surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dolbear surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dolbear 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 62 #26,041
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 118 #21,540
1901 historical 161 #17,324
1911 historical 191 #15,392
1997 modern 257 #14,989
1998 modern 262 #15,203
1999 modern 259 #15,433
2000 modern 259 #15,390
2001 modern 254 #15,363
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 250 #15,605
2004 modern 252 #15,618
2005 modern 244 #15,900
2006 modern 244 #16,011
2007 modern 246 #16,086
2008 modern 250 #16,065
2009 modern 252 #16,323
2010 modern 257 #16,476
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 262 #16,001
2013 modern 272 #15,836
2014 modern 277 #15,734
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 278 #15,579

Geography

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Where Dolbears are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, Moretonhampstead, Uley, Christow and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Weymouth and Portland, New Forest, Stroud and Mid Devon. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 Moretonhampstead Devon
3 Uley Gloucestershire
4 Christow Devon
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Weymouth and Portland 009 Weymouth and Portland
2 New Forest 017 New Forest
3 Stroud 014 Stroud
4 Mid Devon 007 Mid Devon
5 Stroud 011 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dolbear

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dolbear

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dolbear surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dolbear household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Dolbear is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dolbear 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

Dolbear 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 Dolbear is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dolbear

The surname DOLBEAR is of English origin, traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place once known as Dolbeare or Dolbere, which was situated in the county of Devon. The earliest known spelling of this place name was "Dolesbera" in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror.

The name DOLBEAR is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "dole," meaning a share or portion, and "bere," meaning a grove or wooded area. This suggests that the original place name referred to a shared or divided wooded area, possibly a common land used by local inhabitants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DOLBEAR dates back to 1273, when a Robert de Dolebere was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Devonshire. In the 14th century, the name appeared as "Dollebeare" in the Subsidy Rolls of Devonshire from 1332.

Notable individuals with the surname DOLBEAR include:

1. John Dolbear (1625-1699), an English Puritan minister and author from Devon. 2. Amos Emerson Dolbear (1837-1910), an American inventor and physicist known for his contributions to the field of electromagnetics. 3. Samuel Hugh Dolbear (1835-1904), an American author and educator, brother of Amos Emerson Dolbear. 4. Benjamin Dore Dolbear (1819-1868), an English clergyman and author from Devon. 5. Gideon Dolbeare (1786-1863), an American architect and builder who designed several notable structures in Boston, Massachusetts.

The surname DOLBEAR has also been associated with various locations in England, such as Dolbeare Farm in the parish of Drewsteignton, Devon, and Dolbeare Quarry in the parish of Colebrooke, Devon. These place names further reinforce the locational origin of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dolbear families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dolbear 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. Devon leads with 52 Dolbears recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.54x.

County Total Index
Devon 52 27.54x
Middlesex 14 1.54x
Surrey 8 1.81x
Gloucestershire 6 3.37x
Somerset 6 4.11x
Midlothian 4 3.29x
Lancashire 2 0.19x
Leicestershire 1 0.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 13 Dolbears recorded in 1881 and an index of 156.25x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 13 156.25x
Tormoham 8 100.13x
Willesden 7 81.87x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 35.82x
Paignton 6 416.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 41.24x
Moreton Hampstead 5 1020.41x
Wolborough 5 209.21x
Yeovil 5 168.35x
North Leith 4 71.17x
Putney 4 96.85x
Doddiscombsleigh 3 3750.00x
Southwark Christchurch 3 70.59x
St Pancras London 3 4.11x
Blackburn 2 6.98x
Christow 2 1111.11x
Islington London 2 2.27x
Dunsford 1 416.67x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 52.08x
Kensington London 1 1.98x
Kingsteignton 1 188.68x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.26x
Thurmaston North 1 769.23x
Uffculme 1 178.57x
Weston 1 89.29x
Woking 1 37.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Ann 4
Emma 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Effe 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Folar 1
Harriet 1
J. 1
Jane 1
Louise 1
Lucinda 1
Lucy 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Rosina 1
Selina 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Edwin 3
Samuel 3
William 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
George 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Alphonse 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Percy 1
Reuben 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Wm.Robt. 1

FAQ

Dolbear surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dolbear surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Dolbear surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dolbear surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 278 in 2016. That gives Dolbear a modern rank of #15,579.

What does the Dolbear surname mean?

A surname from an occupation relating to wood turning or carpentry.

What does the Dolbear map show?

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