NameCensus.

UK surname

Dolphin

A surname possibly derived from an Old French nickname for a slender or agile individual.

In the 1881 census there were 1,113 people recorded with the Dolphin surname, ranking it #3,582 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,467, ranked #4,197, down from #3,582 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkby Malzeard, Inkberrow and Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, County Durham and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dolphin is 1,537 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.8%.

1881 census count

1,113

Ranked #3,582

Modern count

1,467

2016, ranked #4,197

Peak year

1999

1,537 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dolphin had 1,113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,582 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,467 in 2016, ranked #4,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dolphin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dolphin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dolphin 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 728 #3,605
1861 historical 732 #3,724
1881 historical 1,113 #3,582
1891 historical 1,215 #3,537
1901 historical 1,348 #3,720
1911 historical 1,474 #3,268
1997 modern 1,470 #3,980
1998 modern 1,529 #3,985
1999 modern 1,537 #3,996
2000 modern 1,496 #4,076
2001 modern 1,486 #4,011
2002 modern 1,524 #4,018
2003 modern 1,468 #4,070
2004 modern 1,471 #4,069
2005 modern 1,444 #4,085
2006 modern 1,436 #4,117
2007 modern 1,445 #4,128
2008 modern 1,481 #4,078
2009 modern 1,504 #4,110
2010 modern 1,516 #4,162
2011 modern 1,506 #4,144
2012 modern 1,473 #4,148
2013 modern 1,471 #4,216
2014 modern 1,467 #4,245
2015 modern 1,475 #4,197
2016 modern 1,467 #4,197

Geography

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Where Dolphins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkby Malzeard, Inkberrow, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Pershore Holy Cross, Pershore St Andrew and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, County Durham, Wychavon and Birmingham. 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 Kirkby Malzeard Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Inkberrow Warwickshire
3 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
4 Pershore Holy Cross, Pershore St Andrew Worcestershire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 039 Shropshire
2 County Durham 046 County Durham
3 County Durham 045 County Durham
4 Wychavon 014 Wychavon
5 Birmingham 067 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dolphin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dolphin

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

Dolphin is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dolphin 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 Dolphin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dolphin

The surname DOLPHIN is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place where dolphins were once found or where a particular individual may have lived near a bay or inlet frequented by dolphins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, which mention a William Dolphin. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from counties along the English coast, such as Cornwall and Devon, where it may have originated due to the presence of dolphins in the coastal waters.

The name DOLPHIN is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard Dolphyn. This variation in spelling was common in medieval times and highlights the localized nature of surnames during that period.

A notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Dolphin (c. 1533-1592), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in 1572. He played a role in the establishment of England's early trading relationships with Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

Another prominent individual was George Dolphin (1609-1682), a wealthy English merchant and landowner in Jamaica. He was part of the early English colonial presence in the Caribbean and owned several plantations on the island.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the East India Company, with William Dolphin (1710-1788) serving as a captain and commander of ships trading in the Indian Ocean.

During the 19th century, the name DOLPHIN is found in various parts of England, as well as in the United States, where it was likely carried by English immigrants. One notable American was John Dolphin (1778-1856), a prominent figure in the early history of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a member of the state legislature.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Dolphin (1831-1912), an English civil engineer and architect who worked on several notable projects, including the construction of the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dolphin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dolphin 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. Yorkshire leads with 224 Dolphins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 224 2.08x
Lancashire 178 1.38x
Worcestershire 155 10.91x
Warwickshire 141 5.14x
Staffordshire 84 2.29x
Durham 65 2.01x
Middlesex 45 0.41x
Kent 37 1.00x
Shropshire 33 3.51x
Derbyshire 31 1.82x
Essex 18 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 15 1.02x
Cheshire 11 0.46x
Surrey 11 0.21x
Monmouthshire 10 1.27x
Devon 9 0.40x
Hampshire 9 0.40x
Dorset 8 1.12x
Gloucestershire 7 0.33x
Lincolnshire 7 0.40x
Norfolk 5 0.30x
Inverness-shire 3 0.92x
Wiltshire 3 0.31x
Lanarkshire 2 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.34x
Northamptonshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 0.77x
Sussex 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 65 Dolphins recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.11x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 65 7.11x
Feckenham 52 319.80x
Aston 43 5.69x
Walsall Foreign 37 19.51x
Redditch 29 100.69x
Inkberrow 25 435.54x
Upper Stonebeck 23 2190.48x
Blackburn 19 5.53x
Reeth 19 711.61x
Wellington 19 35.98x
Canterbury St Mary 18 72.29x
Walmersley Cum 17 82.44x
Liverpool 16 2.04x
Brampton 15 63.03x
Kimberworth 15 25.08x
Preston 15 4.34x
Aighton Bailey 14 225.08x
Hindley 14 25.44x
Chesterfield 13 20.36x
Pershore St Andrew 13 165.82x
Dringhoe Upton Brough 12 2068.97x
Coddington 11 567.01x
Greenwich 11 6.35x
Bethnal Green London 10 2.12x
Bishop Auckland 10 23.04x
Brinsworth 10 200.00x
Harpurhey 10 55.83x
Wilsden 10 90.33x
Bowling 9 8.43x
Bromsgrove 9 18.83x
Lanchester 9 151.52x
Oversley 9 708.66x
Pershore Holy Cross 9 98.90x
Stoke Damerel 9 5.68x
West Ham 9 1.90x
Abergavenny 8 27.16x
Coundon 8 60.98x
Gargrave 8 166.67x
Methley 8 52.70x
Wandsworth 8 7.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 3.41x
Coventry Holy Trinity 7 8.55x
Evesham All Sts 7 105.74x
Gnosall 7 79.01x
Hackney London 7 1.15x
Halifax 7 4.42x
Marrick 7 614.04x
Ribchester 7 143.44x
Royton 7 17.73x
Rushall 7 32.39x
Tanworth 7 96.55x
Walthamstow 7 9.06x
Wednesfield 7 12.96x
Crook Billy Row 6 14.48x
Dutton 6 625.00x
Norton Canes 6 44.84x
Reeth Healaugh 6 576.92x
Swanage 6 68.10x
Wolverhampton 6 2.13x
Ardsley 5 40.26x
Barrow In Furness 5 2.85x
Bromborough 5 100.20x
Chipping Campden 5 72.05x
Clerkenwell London 5 1.95x
Dover St James 5 30.75x
Edgbaston 5 5.88x
Everton 5 1.22x
Fountains Earth 5 416.67x
Harborne 5 4.25x
Huddersfield 5 3.18x
Nether Hallam 5 3.43x
Southampton St Mary 5 3.57x
Southcoates 5 8.36x
Stoke Prior 5 57.08x
Stottesdon 5 117.37x
West Derby 5 1.32x
Westerton 5 290.70x
Clayton Le Dale 4 363.64x
Coundon Grange 4 56.34x
Great Grimsby 4 3.62x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 64
William 60
Thomas 46
Joseph 41
James 33
George 28
Charles 21
Henry 17
Arthur 12
Alfred 11
Edward 11
Richard 11
Robert 10
Albert 8
Edwin 7
Samuel 7
David 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Benjamin 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Walter 5
Edmund 4
Matthew 4
Thos. 4
Fred 3
Isaac 3
Patrick 3
Phillip 3
Wm. 3
Adam 2
Andrew 2
Anthony 2
Bernard 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Joshua 2
Marmaduke 2
Ralph 2
Sydney 2
Wilfred 2
Chas.J. 1
Jane 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Dolphin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dolphin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,113 people were recorded with the Dolphin surname. That placed it at #3,582 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dolphin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,467 in 2016. That gives Dolphin a modern rank of #4,197.

What does the Dolphin surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from an Old French nickname for a slender or agile individual.

What does the Dolphin map show?

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