NameCensus.

UK surname

Doris

A surname derived from the given name Doris, meaning "gift" in Greek.

In the 1881 census there were 25 people recorded with the Doris surname, ranking it #30,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 411, ranked #11,654, up from #30,077 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carnwadric West, Scotstoun South and West and Yoker South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Doris is 411 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1544.0%.

1881 census count

25

Ranked #30,077

Modern count

411

2016, ranked #11,654

Peak year

2015

411 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Doris had 25 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,077 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 411 in 2016, ranked #11,654.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Doris surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Doris surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Doris 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 250 #9,877
1881 historical 25 #30,077
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 130 #19,649
1911 historical 224 #13,914
1997 modern 314 #13,136
1998 modern 321 #13,275
1999 modern 328 #13,183
2000 modern 345 #12,693
2001 modern 327 #12,970
2002 modern 331 #13,115
2003 modern 331 #12,944
2004 modern 338 #12,781
2005 modern 343 #12,546
2006 modern 362 #12,151
2007 modern 359 #12,356
2008 modern 361 #12,407
2009 modern 363 #12,602
2010 modern 382 #12,410
2011 modern 373 #12,496
2012 modern 379 #12,192
2013 modern 397 #11,988
2014 modern 404 #11,906
2015 modern 411 #11,666
2016 modern 411 #11,654

Geography

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Where Doris' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Govan Combination, London parishes and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carnwadric West, Scotstoun South and West, Yoker South, Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond and North Muirton and Old Scone. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 London parishes London 3
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carnwadric West Glasgow City
2 Scotstoun South and West Glasgow City
3 Yoker South Glasgow City
4 Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond Perth and Kinross
5 North Muirton and Old Scone Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Doris

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Doris

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Doris, 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 Doris surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Doris 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Doris is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Doris is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Doris 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 Doris is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Doris

The surname Doris is believed to have originated in the region of Brittany, France, in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Breton word "dor," meaning "valley" or "hollow," and may have initially been used as a locational surname to identify individuals who lived in or near a particular valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Doris can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Redon, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 9th century. This document mentions a landowner named Haimarus Doris, suggesting that the surname was already in use by that time.

In the 11th century, the name Doris appeared in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record includes the name of a landholder called Willelmus Doris, further solidifying the presence of the surname in Normandy and surrounding areas.

During the Middle Ages, the name Doris was also associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Jean Doris, a French cleric and scholar who lived in the 13th century. Another was Etienne Doris, a prominent lawyer and judge in Paris who served during the reign of King Charles VII in the 15th century.

As the surname spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and variations. In England, for instance, the name was sometimes recorded as Dorrys or Dorris, while in Germany it appeared as Dörris or Dörries.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Doris. These include:

1. Jacques Doris (c. 1550-1628), a French Huguenot theologian and writer. 2. Thomas Doris (1759-1828), an Irish politician and landowner. 3. Émile Doris (1830-1903), a French painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. 4. Adolph Doris (1848-1925), a German-American artist and illustrator. 5. Gustave Doris (1866-1950), a French sculptor and medalist known for his portrait busts.

While the surname Doris has origins in medieval France, it has since spread globally and can be found in various cultures and communities around the world. However, its roots trace back to the valleys of Brittany, where it first emerged as a locational identifier for those residing in these picturesque landscapes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Doris families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Doris 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. Lanarkshire leads with 15 Doris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.04x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 15 19.04x
Middlesex 3 1.23x
Durham 2 2.76x
Lancashire 2 0.69x
Derbyshire 1 2.62x
Devon 1 1.97x
Midlothian 1 3.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 8 Doris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.12x.

Place Total Index
Barony 8 40.12x
Govan 7 35.92x
Gateshead 2 36.83x
Paddington London 2 22.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 7.62x
Farington 1 588.24x
Morton 1 1428.57x
St George Hanover Square 1 23.31x
Tormoham 1 46.51x
Worsley 1 56.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizth 1
Ethyl 1
Hannah 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Frederick 1
John 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Doris households.

FAQ

Doris surname: questions and answers

How common was the Doris surname in 1881?

In 1881, 25 people were recorded with the Doris surname. That placed it at #30,077 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Doris surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 411 in 2016. That gives Doris a modern rank of #11,654.

What does the Doris surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Doris, meaning "gift" in Greek.

What does the Doris map show?

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