NameCensus.

UK surname

Dorsett

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Dort's gate," likely referring to a gated enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 406 people recorded with the Dorsett surname, ranking it #7,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 752, ranked #7,274, up from #7,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Risborough, Princes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Telford and Wrekin and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dorsett is 820 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.2%.

1881 census count

406

Ranked #7,880

Modern count

752

2016, ranked #7,274

Peak year

2000

820 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dorsett had 406 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 752 in 2016, ranked #7,274.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 723 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dorsett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dorsett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dorsett 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 204 #10,250
1861 historical 287 #8,773
1881 historical 406 #7,880
1891 historical 541 #6,976
1901 historical 631 #6,795
1911 historical 723 #5,920
1997 modern 790 #6,602
1998 modern 817 #6,648
1999 modern 818 #6,677
2000 modern 820 #6,639
2001 modern 807 #6,606
2002 modern 808 #6,722
2003 modern 785 #6,757
2004 modern 744 #7,071
2005 modern 756 #6,913
2006 modern 769 #6,851
2007 modern 766 #6,938
2008 modern 768 #6,973
2009 modern 792 #6,950
2010 modern 804 #6,994
2011 modern 787 #7,051
2012 modern 771 #7,073
2013 modern 757 #7,289
2014 modern 755 #7,334
2015 modern 752 #7,292
2016 modern 752 #7,274

Geography

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Where Dorsetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Risborough, Princes and Thame. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Telford and Wrekin and Islington. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Risborough, Princes Buckinghamshire
5 Thame Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 027 Bolton
2 Bolton 033 Bolton
3 Telford and Wrekin 002 Telford and Wrekin
4 Islington 015 Islington
5 Bolton 029 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dorsett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dorsett

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dorsett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dorsett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dorsett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Dorsett is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dorsett falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dorsett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dorsett

The surname Dorsett originated in England, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning "deer" and "sætan" meaning "settlers" or "inhabitants". This suggests that the name likely referred to individuals who lived in an area populated by deer or those who worked in deer-related industries such as hunting or farming.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dorsett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it is spelled as "Dersete". This document mentions a landowner named William Dersete. The Dorsett name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which lists a John de Dersete.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly associated with the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is believed that many individuals adopted the name Dorsett as a locational surname, indicating their place of origin or residence in this region. The county's name itself is derived from the Old English "Dornsæte", meaning "inhabitants of the Dor region".

In the 14th century, the Dorsett name appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1334, which mentions a Robert Dursete. The Friar's Register of Gloucester from 1358 also includes an entry for a Thomas Dorsett.

Notable individuals with the surname Dorsett throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Dorsett (c. 1505 - 1577), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Dorset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Edward Dorsett (1639 - 1708), an English-born colonial settler and landowner in Maryland, United States.

3. Reverend Obadiah Dorsett (1712 - 1785), a prominent English clergyman and author from Dorset.

4. John Dorsett (1758 - 1835), an English-born farmer and early settler in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada).

5. William Dorsett (1819 - 1891), an English-born painter and artist known for his landscape works depicting scenes from Dorset.

While the Dorsett surname has evolved in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was closely associated with the county of Dorset and the local deer population or related industries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dorsett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dorsett 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 131 Dorsetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 131 3.32x
Shropshire 62 18.21x
Buckinghamshire 32 13.43x
Staffordshire 30 2.26x
Oxfordshire 26 10.68x
Lancashire 20 0.43x
Kent 19 1.41x
Surrey 19 0.99x
Yorkshire 15 0.38x
Essex 12 1.54x
Warwickshire 10 1.01x
Berkshire 6 2.03x
Derbyshire 6 0.97x
Worcestershire 6 1.17x
Wiltshire 4 1.15x
Glamorgan 2 0.29x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Hertfordshire 1 0.37x
Leicestershire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Madeley in Shropshire leads with 30 Dorsetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 240.38x.

Place Total Index
Madeley 30 240.38x
Mile End Old Town London 23 27.42x
St Pancras London 17 5.36x
Thame 16 361.17x
Long Crendon 14 880.50x
Chelsea London 11 9.26x
Handsworth 9 27.45x
Over Darwen 9 24.10x
West Ham 9 5.24x
Edgmond 8 213.33x
Lambeth 8 2.33x
Princes Risborough 8 250.78x
Sheffield 8 6.43x
Fulham London 7 12.25x
Hampstead London 7 11.40x
Limehouse London 7 16.18x
Nether Worton 7 8750.00x
Sedgley 7 14.17x
St Marylebone London 7 3.33x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.50x
Broseley 6 99.17x
Hackney London 6 2.72x
Hammersmith London 6 6.18x
Litchurch 6 24.16x
Reading St Mary 6 25.33x
West Bromwich 6 7.88x
Acton 5 21.65x
Chertsey 5 40.29x
Dartford 5 36.36x
Hulme 5 5.12x
Maidstone 5 12.48x
Moss Side 5 20.32x
Ashford 4 128.62x
Aston 4 1.46x
Chippenham 4 54.72x
Dawley 4 32.28x
Dudley 4 6.39x
Eaton Constantine 4 1250.00x
Hillingdon 4 31.85x
St George Hanover Square 4 5.76x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 2.84x
Walsall Foreign 4 5.82x
Wellington 4 20.90x
Crayford 3 51.11x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 3.78x
Holy Trinity Less London 3 300.00x
Little Kimble 3 1363.64x
Norwood 3 33.30x
St Giles Cripplegate 3 57.36x
Uxbridge 3 66.67x
Wroxeter 3 454.55x
Wycombe 3 16.89x
Bearley 2 689.66x
Bexley 2 16.82x
Brightside Bierlow 2 2.61x
Bromsgrove 2 11.55x
Camberwell 2 0.79x
Edgbaston 2 6.49x
Gelligaer 2 12.76x
Great Marlow 2 31.10x
Haseley 2 666.67x
Ightfield 2 434.78x
Shoreditch London 2 1.17x
Ascott Under Wychwood 1 185.19x
Blackburn 1 0.80x
Bow London 1 1.99x
Bromley London 1 1.15x
Chester St Peter St 1 107.53x
Coulsdon 1 28.65x
East Malling 1 31.15x
Greenwich 1 1.59x
Hitchin 1 8.16x
Lee 1 5.12x
Leicester St Margaret 1 0.94x
Leyton 1 7.46x
Maldon St Marys 1 53.76x
Middlesbrough 1 1.97x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 1 34.60x
Portsmouth 1 5.38x
Wandsworth 1 2.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Sarah 14
Ann 12
Elizabeth 12
Emily 11
Eliza 10
Fanny 8
Jane 8
Florence 6
Clara 5
Alice 4
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Annie 3
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Harriett 3
Kate 3
Rose 3
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Ester 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Carline 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Daisy 1
Esther 1
Florena 1
Gertrude 1
Higbath 1
Honora 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Johannah 1
Kathleen 1
Keziah 1
Marey 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Mariane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 29
William 25
Thomas 20
Henry 13
Alfred 12
James 11
Joseph 11
George 8
Richard 6
Edward 5
Herbert 5
Charles 4
Frederick 4
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Edwd. 2
Harry 2
Jesse 2
Moses 2
Thos. 2
Abel 1
Benjamin 1
E. 1
Edgar 1
Enock 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Goerge 1
Joh 1
Louis 1
Mickle 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Stephen 1
Tho. 1
Willia 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dorsett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dorsett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 406 people were recorded with the Dorsett surname. That placed it at #7,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dorsett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 752 in 2016. That gives Dorsett a modern rank of #7,274.

What does the Dorsett surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Dort's gate," likely referring to a gated enclosure.

What does the Dorsett map show?

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