NameCensus.

UK surname

Dossantos

A Portuguese surname referring to someone living near or originating from an area with many saints or holy sites.

In the 1881 census there were 10 people recorded with the Dossantos surname, ranking it #32,243 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,073, ranked #5,451, up from #32,243 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Waltham Forest and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dossantos is 1,073 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10630.0%.

1881 census count

10

Ranked #32,243

Modern count

1,073

2016, ranked #5,451

Peak year

2016

1,073 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dossantos had 10 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,243 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,073 in 2016, ranked #5,451.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Dossantos surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dossantos surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dossantos 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
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 10 #32,243
1891 historical 11 #33,268
1901 historical 12 #32,772
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 279 #14,175
1998 modern 326 #13,146
1999 modern 352 #12,552
2000 modern 329 #13,090
2001 modern 322 #13,098
2002 modern 382 #11,839
2003 modern 393 #11,401
2004 modern 465 #10,046
2005 modern 527 #9,099
2006 modern 595 #8,335
2007 modern 607 #8,278
2008 modern 590 #8,528
2009 modern 651 #8,057
2010 modern 709 #7,710
2011 modern 687 #7,803
2012 modern 888 #6,305
2013 modern 948 #6,094
2014 modern 993 #5,894
2015 modern 1,035 #5,652
2016 modern 1,073 #5,451

Geography

Back to top

Where Dossantos' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Waltham Forest, Lambeth, Brent and Enfield. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Waltham Forest 027 Waltham Forest
3 Lambeth 010 Lambeth
4 Brent 024 Brent
5 Enfield 030 Enfield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dossantos

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dossantos

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Dossantos surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Dossantos 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dossantos 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

Dossantos 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

Dossantos falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dossantos 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Dossantos

The surname Dossantos originates from Portugal, with its roots traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the combination of the Portuguese words "dos" (meaning "of the") and "santos" (meaning "saints"), likely referring to a family or individual's association with a particular religious order or patron saint.

During the Age of Discovery, when Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured across the globe, the name Dossantos began to appear in various colonial outposts and settlements. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the archives of the Portuguese colonial administration in Goa, India, dated around 1530.

In the 16th century, the Dossantos name appeared in various historical records related to the Portuguese presence in Brazil. Notable individuals included João Dossantos (1525-1598), a prominent sugar plantation owner in Pernambuco, and Maria Dossantos (1560-1625), a renowned educator and founder of one of the first schools for indigenous children in São Paulo.

The name also surfaced in the Spanish colonial records of the Philippines, with Francisco Dossantos (1610-1678) being recognized as a skilled navigator and cartographer who contributed to the mapping of the Philippine archipelago.

Moving into the 17th century, the Dossantos name gained prominence in the arts and sciences. Pedro Dossantos (1635-1712) was a celebrated Portuguese painter known for his religious works, while António Dossantos (1678-1741) was a respected mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of celestial navigation.

As the Portuguese empire expanded, the Dossantos name traveled far and wide. In the 18th century, records show a Dossantos family residing in the Portuguese settlement of Macau, China, where they were engaged in the lucrative trade of silk and porcelain.

Throughout history, the Dossantos name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, from explorers and colonists to artists and scientists, reflecting the widespread influence of the Portuguese diaspora across the globe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dossantos families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dossantos 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. Kent leads with 12 Dossantos' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.03x.

County Total Index
Kent 12 20.03x
Midlothian 2 8.50x
Surrey 2 2.34x
Sussex 2 6.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 12 Dossantos' recorded in 1881 and an index of 259.74x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 12 259.74x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 21.14x
Hastings St Mary 2 270.27x
Lambeth 2 13.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 2
Ada 1
Eulalia 1
Josephine 1
Rosie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 1
Edwin 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 Dossantos households.

FAQ

Dossantos surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dossantos surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10 people were recorded with the Dossantos surname. That placed it at #32,243 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dossantos surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,073 in 2016. That gives Dossantos a modern rank of #5,451.

What does the Dossantos surname mean?

A Portuguese surname referring to someone living near or originating from an area with many saints or holy sites.

What does the Dossantos map show?

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