NameCensus.

UK surname

Dott

An English surname derived from a contraction of the Scottish nickname "Doritty".

In the 1881 census there were 197 people recorded with the Dott surname, ranking it #12,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, down from #12,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cupar, Edinburgh and Kingussie and Insh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Greenfield and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dott is 254 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.9%.

1881 census count

197

Ranked #12,955

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

1901

254 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dott had 197 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 254 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Dott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dott 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 188 #12,628
1881 historical 197 #12,955
1891 historical 225 #13,714
1901 historical 254 #13,005
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 211 #17,048
1998 modern 214 #17,366
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 222 #17,032
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 226 #16,939
2003 modern 212 #17,454
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 226 #16,891
2007 modern 236 #16,617
2008 modern 237 #16,688
2009 modern 249 #16,466
2010 modern 254 #16,604
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 240 #16,979
2013 modern 248 #16,877
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

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Where Dotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cupar, Edinburgh, Kingussie and Insh, Glasgow and Bedlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Campbeltown, Greenfield, Bury, Cowlairs and Port Dundas and Bexley. 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 Cupar Fife
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Kingussie and Insh Inverness
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Bedlington Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Greenfield Glasgow City
3 Bury 023 Bury
4 Cowlairs and Port Dundas Glasgow City
5 Bexley 008 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dott

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Dott surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Dott household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Dott 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

Dott is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dott

The surname "DOTT" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "dott," which referred to a small protuberance or lump. This was likely used as a nickname for someone with a distinctive physical feature or perhaps a distinguishing mole or birthmark.

The earliest known record of the surname "DOTT" dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a Richard Dott appearing in the Curia Regis Rolls of Norfolk in 1227. This suggests that the name was established in the eastern region of England at this time.

In the 14th century, the surname "DOTT" can be found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327, where a John Dott is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of northern England by this period.

One notable figure with the surname "DOTT" was Sir Thomas Dott (1517-1589), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon in Essex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of historical significance was John Dott (1676-1762), a British philosopher and academic who authored several treatises on metaphysics and ethics. He was a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

In the 18th century, the surname "DOTT" appears to have been prevalent in the county of Lincolnshire, as evidenced by the baptismal records of various parishes. For example, a William Dott was born in Gainsborough in 1742, and a Mary Dott was baptized in Lincoln in 1769.

The surname "DOTT" also has a connection to the town of Dottridge, located in the English county of Shropshire. It is possible that some instances of the surname originated as a locational name derived from this place.

Other notable individuals with the surname "DOTT" include Robert Dott (1841-1912), a Scottish architect who designed several public buildings in Glasgow, and Albert Dott (1877-1949), an American geologist and academic who made significant contributions to the study of structural geology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dott 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 51 Dotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.21x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 51 8.21x
Midlothian 29 11.26x
Fife 22 19.34x
Inverness-shire 20 34.85x
Middlesex 15 0.78x
Angus 13 7.30x
Northumberland 9 3.15x
Ross-shire 7 13.27x
Aberdeenshire 6 3.37x
Kent 6 0.92x
West Lothian 6 20.73x
Kinross-shire 4 82.30x
Lancashire 3 0.13x
Perthshire 3 3.48x
Dunbartonshire 2 3.87x
Ayrshire 1 0.70x

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 17 Dotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.81x.

Place Total Index
Barony 17 10.81x
Glasgow 17 15.40x
Dysart 13 169.71x
Dundee 11 16.55x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 9.66x
Edinburgh St Georges 9 168.54x
Rosemarkie 7 1206.90x
Rutherglen 7 76.75x
Shoreditch London 7 8.40x
St Clement Danes London 7 175.88x
Bedlington 6 62.83x
Boness 6 150.38x
Cupar 6 121.21x
Gorbals 6 162.60x
Kingussie Insh 6 454.55x
Laggan 6 983.61x
Strichen 6 387.10x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 5 82.10x
Inverness 5 34.65x
Inveresk 4 57.39x
Orwell 4 298.51x
New Monkland 3 16.33x
Perth Middle Church 3 92.59x
Dumbarton 2 27.82x
Erith 2 30.96x
Margate St John Baptist 2 16.65x
Monifieth 2 31.80x
North Shields 2 35.03x
Trumisgarry 2 344.83x
Beith 1 23.31x
Dartford 1 14.93x
Dunfermline 1 5.72x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 15.27x
Ferry Port On Craig 1 53.48x
Govan 1 0.65x
High Angerton 1 2000.00x
Islington London 1 0.54x
Kirkcaldy 1 17.73x
Milton In Gravesend 1 10.17x
Moss Side 1 8.33x
Toxteth Park 1 1.30x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 1 61.73x
West Derby 1 1.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Henrietta 2
Sarah 2
Christine 1
Eliz. 1
Elizabeth 1
Infant 1
Margaret 1
Maud 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alex. 2
Charles 2
James 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Atkin 1
Donald 1
H.Y. 1
Harry 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
S. 1
Saml. 1
Walter 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 Dott households.

FAQ

Dott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 197 people were recorded with the Dott surname. That placed it at #12,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Dott a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Dott surname mean?

An English surname derived from a contraction of the Scottish nickname "Doritty".

What does the Dott map show?

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