NameCensus.

UK surname

Douce

A French surname possibly derived from the Old French word "dous" meaning sweet or gentle.

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Douce surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, up from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, Braintree and Gainsborough, Paddocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, Cornwall and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Douce is 289 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 224.7%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

2013

289 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Douce had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Douce surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Douce surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Douce 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 205 #14,733
1997 modern 275 #14,335
1998 modern 281 #14,506
1999 modern 288 #14,346
2000 modern 269 #14,983
2001 modern 269 #14,776
2002 modern 266 #15,156
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 252 #15,618
2005 modern 254 #15,480
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 260 #15,476
2008 modern 262 #15,550
2009 modern 263 #15,843
2010 modern 271 #15,856
2011 modern 275 #15,517
2012 modern 279 #15,289
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 284 #15,455
2015 modern 275 #15,707
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

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Where Douces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, Braintree, Gainsborough, Paddocks, St Werburgh and Nuneaton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, Cornwall, Waveney and Derby. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 Braintree Essex
3 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Nuneaton Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey
2 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
3 West Lindsey 007 West Lindsey
4 Waveney 013 Waveney
5 Derby 023 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Douce

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Douce

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Douce is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Douce 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

Douce falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Douce 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 Douce, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Douce

The surname DOUCE originates from France, where it first appeared in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "dous," meaning "sweet" or "gentle." This name likely referred to someone with a mild or amiable character.

The name DOUCE was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy. It can be found in several early records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists individuals with similar spellings like "Dolce" and "Doulce."

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Guillaume Douce, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. His descendants settled in various parts of England and adopted the anglicized spelling "Douce."

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Robert Douce (c. 1210-1285) was a renowned scholar and collector of manuscripts. He amassed a significant library, which was later donated to the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.

Another notable individual was Francis Douce (1757-1834), an English antiquarian and collector. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and made significant contributions to the study of early English literature and customs.

In the 16th century, a French nobleman named Claude Douce (1532-1591) played a crucial role in the Wars of Religion. He was a staunch supporter of the Huguenots and served as a military commander under Henry of Navarre.

The name DOUCE also has connections to various place names in France, such as Douce-Vallée (Sweet Valley) and Doucemont (Sweet Mountain). These places likely derived their names from the same Old French root as the surname.

Throughout history, the DOUCE surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including knights, scholars, collectors, and noblemen. While the name may have originated as a descriptive term for a gentle or amiable person, it has since become a proud part of the cultural heritage of many families across Europe and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Douce families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Douce 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. Warwickshire leads with 18 Douces recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.61x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 18 8.61x
Middlesex 13 1.57x
Lincolnshire 10 7.54x
Essex 9 5.50x
Staffordshire 7 2.50x
Norfolk 6 4.71x
Yorkshire 6 0.73x
Durham 4 1.62x
Surrey 4 0.99x
Channel Islands 3 12.21x
Kent 2 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.90x
Derbyshire 1 0.77x
Hampshire 1 0.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blyton in Lincolnshire leads with 9 Douces recorded in 1881 and an index of 4500.00x.

Place Total Index
Blyton 9 4500.00x
Aston 7 12.16x
Bradwell 7 2500.00x
Harborne 7 78.04x
Mancetter 6 1000.00x
St George Martyr London 5 297.62x
Bishopwearmouth 4 18.89x
Norwich St Margaret 4 2000.00x
Putney 4 105.82x
Shoreditch London 4 11.13x
Chilvers Coton 3 348.84x
St Helier 3 37.50x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 2 71.17x
Birmingham 2 2.87x
Heigham 2 29.24x
Shipley 2 46.95x
Fobbing 1 833.33x
Grays Thurrock 1 65.79x
Hampstead London 1 7.75x
Hunslet 1 7.81x
Kensington London 1 2.17x
Lewisham 1 6.63x
Middlesbrough 1 9.35x
Minster In Thanet 1 169.49x
North Wingfield 1 172.41x
Poplar London 1 6.39x
Scotter 1 333.33x
St Edward Cambridge 1 588.24x
St Marylebone London 1 2.26x
Wickham 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Emma 4
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Maria 2
Pleasant 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Horatia 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lottie 1
Louisa 1
Margeret 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Douce surname: questions and answers

How common was the Douce surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Douce surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Douce surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Douce a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Douce surname mean?

A French surname possibly derived from the Old French word "dous" meaning sweet or gentle.

What does the Douce map show?

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