NameCensus.

UK surname

Donnison

In the 1881 census there were 414 people recorded with the Donnison surname, ranking it #7,778 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 609, ranked #8,609, down from #7,778 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside, Northumberland and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donnison is 641 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.1%.

1881 census count

414

Ranked #7,778

Modern count

609

2016, ranked #8,609

Peak year

2002

641 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donnison had 414 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,778 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 609 in 2016, ranked #8,609.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 578 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Donnison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donnison surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Donnison 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 201 #10,364
1861 historical 300 #8,432
1881 historical 414 #7,778
1891 historical 473 #7,758
1901 historical 541 #7,611
1911 historical 578 #7,032
1997 modern 612 #8,033
1998 modern 629 #8,111
1999 modern 626 #8,196
2000 modern 618 #8,263
2001 modern 594 #8,363
2002 modern 641 #8,044
2003 modern 625 #8,060
2004 modern 607 #8,281
2005 modern 594 #8,334
2006 modern 596 #8,326
2007 modern 615 #8,203
2008 modern 602 #8,392
2009 modern 616 #8,428
2010 modern 637 #8,371
2011 modern 619 #8,482
2012 modern 605 #8,550
2013 modern 596 #8,795
2014 modern 611 #8,681
2015 modern 622 #8,481
2016 modern 609 #8,609

Geography

Back to top

Where Donnisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, London parishes, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints and Easington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Tyneside, Northumberland, Leeds and Eden. 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 Darlington Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Easington Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Tyneside 021 South Tyneside
2 Northumberland 010 Northumberland
3 Leeds 041 Leeds
4 Northumberland 034 Northumberland
5 Eden 003 Eden

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Donnison

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Donnison

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Donnison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Donnison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Donnison is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Donnison 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

Donnison falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Donnison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donnison 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. Durham leads with 132 Donnisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.99x.

County Total Index
Durham 132 10.99x
Northumberland 113 18.81x
Yorkshire 67 1.67x
Lancashire 31 0.65x
Middlesex 24 0.59x
Surrey 14 0.71x
Lincolnshire 9 1.39x
Staffordshire 7 0.51x
Sussex 5 0.73x
Cheshire 4 0.45x
Hampshire 3 0.36x
Suffolk 3 0.61x
Derbyshire 1 0.16x
Kent 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Darlington in Durham leads with 31 Donnisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.82x.

Place Total Index
Darlington 31 66.82x
Haswell 22 255.52x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 18 50.15x
Bishopwearmouth 17 16.48x
Byker 17 57.24x
Gateshead 16 17.79x
Holy Trinity 13 13.51x
Newcastle On Tyne St 13 41.73x
Islington London 12 3.07x
Middlesbrough 12 23.03x
Sculcoates 12 18.91x
Lambeth 11 3.12x
Westgate 11 29.56x
Throckley 10 602.41x
Boston 9 45.94x
Corbridge 9 409.09x
Heworth 9 38.02x
Salford 9 6.39x
Chester Le Street 8 86.67x
Mexborough 8 100.76x
Bradford 7 7.23x
Kirkdale 7 8.68x
Newburn 7 406.98x
Fazeley 6 241.94x
Hackney London 6 2.65x
Hulme 6 6.00x
Longbenton 6 23.58x
Ripon 6 64.66x
Wallsend 6 31.48x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 21.32x
Waldridge 5 248.76x
Warden 5 406.50x
Elswick 4 8.34x
Steyning 4 173.16x
Battersea 3 2.02x
Holdenhurst 3 13.82x
Mendham 3 288.46x
Ovington 3 405.41x
Poplar London 3 3.94x
Shadforth 3 128.76x
Willington 3 43.23x
Altrincham 2 12.84x
Eastrington 2 377.36x
Esh 2 22.88x
Harton 2 42.11x
Houghton Le Spring 2 24.07x
Hunwick Helmington 2 69.20x
Jesmond 2 23.67x
Liverpool 2 0.69x
Southcoates 2 9.00x
Spotland 2 3.75x
Thirsk 2 43.29x
Toxteth Park 2 1.23x
Tranmere 2 6.11x
West Derby 2 1.43x
Westoe 2 2.94x
Acklington 1 312.50x
Badsworth 1 333.33x
Bowling 1 2.52x
Deptford St Paul 1 0.94x
Easington 1 57.47x
Hexham 1 10.75x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 16.42x
Hornsey 1 1.96x
Kensington London 1 0.45x
Lullington 1 97.09x
Manchester 1 0.46x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.16x
Sunderland 1 4.71x
Tamworth 1 13.72x
Upper Beeding 1 119.05x
Winlaton 1 8.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 40
Elizabeth 25
Jane 12
Sarah 12
Emma 8
Isabella 7
Margaret 7
Martha 7
Ann 6
Edith 5
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Dorothy 3
Eliza 3
Elizth. 3
Ellen 3
Esther 3
Agnes 2
Charlotte 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Georgiana 2
Hannah 2
Johanna 2
Kate 2
Lily 2
Rebecca 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Clarinda 1
Donnison 1
Elenor 1
Emily 1
Emmia 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Florinda 1
Grace 1
Grce 1
Hanah 1
Isa. 1
J. 1
Johana 1
Julia 1
Lilia 1
Lillian 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
William 21
George 17
James 14
Joseph 14
Robert 14
Thomas 10
Arthur 6
Frederick 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Henry 4
Jas. 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frederic 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Nicholas 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Beaumont 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Ed. 1
Foggin 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Harvey 1
Hedley 1
Horatio 1
Hugh 1
Lawrence 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Ruben 1
Saml. 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1
Willy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Donnison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donnison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 414 people were recorded with the Donnison surname. That placed it at #7,778 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donnison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 609 in 2016. That gives Donnison a modern rank of #8,609.

What does the Donnison map show?

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