NameCensus.

UK surname

Dormer

A surname derived from the Old French word meaning "one who sleeps".

In the 1881 census there were 834 people recorded with the Dormer surname, ranking it #4,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,208, ranked #4,924, down from #4,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Waddesdon, Fleet Marston and Risborough, Princes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barking and Dagenham, Aylesbury Vale and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dormer is 1,357 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.8%.

1881 census count

834

Ranked #4,517

Modern count

1,208

2016, ranked #4,924

Peak year

1998

1,357 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dormer had 834 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,208 in 2016, ranked #4,924.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,248 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Dormer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dormer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dormer 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 461 #5,378
1861 historical 322 #7,911
1881 historical 834 #4,517
1891 historical 839 #4,858
1901 historical 1,098 #4,399
1911 historical 1,248 #3,804
1997 modern 1,282 #4,450
1998 modern 1,357 #4,389
1999 modern 1,349 #4,445
2000 modern 1,307 #4,554
2001 modern 1,281 #4,543
2002 modern 1,302 #4,561
2003 modern 1,268 #4,578
2004 modern 1,287 #4,523
2005 modern 1,267 #4,539
2006 modern 1,250 #4,609
2007 modern 1,261 #4,609
2008 modern 1,250 #4,671
2009 modern 1,295 #4,623
2010 modern 1,309 #4,675
2011 modern 1,282 #4,705
2012 modern 1,239 #4,785
2013 modern 1,238 #4,864
2014 modern 1,234 #4,893
2015 modern 1,220 #4,897
2016 modern 1,208 #4,924

Geography

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Where Dormers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Waddesdon, Fleet Marston, Risborough, Princes and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barking and Dagenham, Aylesbury Vale, Hammersmith and Fulham, Dacorum and Thurrock. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Waddesdon, Fleet Marston Buckinghamshire
4 Risborough, Princes Buckinghamshire
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barking and Dagenham 006 Barking and Dagenham
2 Aylesbury Vale 008 Aylesbury Vale
3 Hammersmith and Fulham 017 Hammersmith and Fulham
4 Dacorum 021 Dacorum
5 Thurrock 013 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dormer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dormer

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Dormer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dormer is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dormer

The surname Dormer originated in England during the medieval period. It is a habitation name derived from the Old French word "dormeor," meaning "sleeper" or "dormitory." The name likely referred to someone who worked or lived in a dormitory or a sleeping quarters.

The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the 13th century. In 1273, a Walter le Dormeor was mentioned in the Huntingdonshire Hundred Rolls. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dormer was John Dormer, who lived in the 15th century. He was a member of the prominent Dormer family of West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The family's ancestral seat was located at West Wycombe Park, which was later transformed into a country house by Sir Francis Dormer (1615-1689).

Another notable Dormer was Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon (1610-1643). He was a prominent English nobleman and Royalist during the English Civil War. He fought for King Charles I and was killed at the First Battle of Newbury in 1643.

Jane Dormer (1538-1612), better known as Lady Jane Dormer, was a prominent English Catholic recusant and translator. She was known for her translations of religious works from Spanish into English.

In the 16th century, the surname Dormer was also found in the form "Dormere" or "Dormour." For instance, John Dormere was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1524.

The name Dormer has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Dormer's Close in Buckinghamshire and Dormer's Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Dormer who owned or lived in those locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dormer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dormer 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. Middlesex leads with 304 Dormers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 304 3.74x
Buckinghamshire 166 33.79x
Berkshire 81 13.28x
Surrey 57 1.44x
Kent 34 1.23x
Warwickshire 34 1.66x
Leicestershire 24 2.66x
Oxfordshire 19 3.79x
Lancashire 18 0.19x
Hampshire 17 1.02x
Devon 16 0.95x
Durham 13 0.54x
Sussex 7 0.51x
Northumberland 6 0.50x
Yorkshire 6 0.07x
Essex 4 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.37x
Bedfordshire 3 0.71x
Gloucestershire 3 0.19x
Staffordshire 3 0.11x
Derbyshire 2 0.16x
Dorset 2 0.38x
Hertfordshire 2 0.36x
Midlothian 2 0.18x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Suffolk 1 0.10x
Sutherland 1 1.60x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 69 Dormers recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.55x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 69 19.55x
Hackney London 37 8.12x
Princes Risborough 28 425.53x
Kensington London 23 5.09x
Reading St Mary 22 45.04x
Bow London 17 16.43x
Mile End Old Town London 16 9.25x
Reading St Giles 16 26.74x
Great Marlow 15 113.12x
Shoreditch London 15 4.26x
Aylesbury 14 64.31x
Camberwell 13 2.50x
East West Hanney 12 500.00x
Edmonton 12 18.33x
Portsea 12 3.68x
Tottenham 12 9.27x
Wolverton 12 117.99x
Hampton London 11 82.34x
Acton 10 20.99x
Caversham 10 99.60x
Deptford St Paul 10 4.68x
Islington London 10 1.27x
Lambeth 10 1.41x
St George Hanover Square 10 6.98x
Thornborough 10 621.12x
Wandsworth 10 12.78x
Conside Knitsley 9 47.87x
Ealing 9 12.39x
Upper Winchendon 9 1730.77x
Westcott 9 1384.62x
Grendon Underwood 8 727.27x
Waddesdon 8 341.88x
Wantage 8 82.30x
Woolwich 8 7.81x
Bradwell 7 101.30x
Leicester St Margaret 7 3.19x
Milton Keynes 7 1029.41x
Plumstead 7 7.57x
Rousham 7 1627.91x
Streatham 7 11.61x
Wycombe 7 19.12x
Berwick Upon Tweed 6 23.42x
Brighton 6 2.17x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 20.75x
Chelsea London 6 2.45x
Clayton 6 30.44x
Curdworth 6 319.15x
Ibstock 6 91.60x
Radnage 6 504.20x
Westminster St John 6 6.06x
Croydon 5 2.28x
East West Challow 5 316.46x
Exeter Holy Trinity 5 75.41x
Exeter St Mary Major 5 49.02x
Lyford 5 1351.35x
St Pancras London 5 0.76x
Aston 4 0.71x
Aston Clinton 4 96.15x
Earley 4 39.37x
Garston 4 14.05x
Kingsbury 4 91.32x
Leamington Priors 4 7.93x
Manchester 4 0.92x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.41x
St Giles In Fields London 4 10.04x
Uxbridge 4 43.10x
Wallingford St Peter 4 307.69x
Westminster St James 4 4.79x
Wigston Magna 4 33.47x
Woking 4 16.76x
Beaconsfield 3 65.93x
Bromley London 3 1.68x
Chatham 3 3.93x
Iveston 3 26.93x
Paddington London 3 1.00x
Saunderton 3 254.24x
Thornton In Fylde 3 14.22x
Westbury On Trym 3 5.56x
Whitchurch 3 148.51x
Willesden 3 3.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 52
William 42
James 33
Henry 30
George 26
Thomas 23
Joseph 15
Charles 13
Robert 12
Harry 11
Arthur 9
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Ernest 7
Richard 7
Albert 5
Edwin 5
David 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
Frederick 4
Fredrick 4
Robt. 4
Eli 3
Francis 3
Percy 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Benjiman 2
Cecil 2
Earnest 2
Jos. 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Amos 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edw. 1
Eron 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hubert 1
Isaac 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1

FAQ

Dormer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dormer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 834 people were recorded with the Dormer surname. That placed it at #4,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dormer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,208 in 2016. That gives Dormer a modern rank of #4,924.

What does the Dormer surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word meaning "one who sleeps".

What does the Dormer map show?

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