NameCensus.

UK surname

Doust

An English surname derived from a Middle English word meaning 'dusty'.

In the 1881 census there were 348 people recorded with the Doust surname, ranking it #8,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 461, ranked #10,625, down from #8,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, Lamberhurst and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shepway, Maidstone and Broxbourne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Doust is 544 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.5%.

1881 census count

348

Ranked #8,791

Modern count

461

2016, ranked #10,625

Peak year

1911

544 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Doust had 348 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016, ranked #10,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 544 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Doust surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Doust surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Doust 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 187 #10,978
1861 historical 214 #11,365
1881 historical 348 #8,791
1891 historical 411 #8,675
1901 historical 442 #8,818
1911 historical 544 #7,356
1997 modern 517 #9,079
1998 modern 537 #9,091
1999 modern 536 #9,159
2000 modern 516 #9,396
2001 modern 504 #9,413
2002 modern 489 #9,789
2003 modern 472 #9,889
2004 modern 490 #9,639
2005 modern 475 #9,804
2006 modern 454 #10,180
2007 modern 448 #10,365
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 457 #10,532
2010 modern 460 #10,719
2011 modern 470 #10,432
2012 modern 470 #10,332
2013 modern 469 #10,492
2014 modern 466 #10,608
2015 modern 454 #10,751
2016 modern 461 #10,625

Geography

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Where Dousts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, Lamberhurst, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Margate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shepway, Maidstone, Broxbourne, Wiltshire and Kirklees. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 Lamberhurst Sussex
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Margate Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shepway 003 Shepway
2 Maidstone 016 Maidstone
3 Broxbourne 010 Broxbourne
4 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
5 Kirklees 048 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Doust

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Doust

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Doust surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Doust 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Doust is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Doust 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

Doust falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Doust

The surname DOUST is of English origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'dust', referring to a dusty or dry place. The name was likely initially given as a topographic surname, indicating that the original bearer lived near a dusty or arid area.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname DOUST dates back to the 13th century in the county of Norfolk, England. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a record of land holdings, there is a reference to a person named William Duste, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the modern DOUST surname.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name appeared in various historical records across different regions of England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a Thomas Duste is mentioned, while the Suffolk Feet of Fines from 1386 lists a John Dost.

One notable historical figure bearing the DOUST surname was Sir Edward Doust (c. 1540-1607), an English politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Great Marlow during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual was William Doust (1618-1689), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Ripon Cathedral in Yorkshire from 1660 until his death.

In the 18th century, Robert Doust (1732-1819) was a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Essex. His legacy can be traced through the Doust family estates and properties recorded in historical land records.

Moving into the 19th century, John Doust (1818-1895) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. John the Baptist in Ruardean, Gloucestershire.

The DOUST surname has also been associated with various place names and localities throughout England, such as Doust Farm in the village of Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire, and Doust's Hill in the parish of Hartley Wintney, Hampshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Doust families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Doust 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 146 Dousts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.64x.

County Total Index
Kent 146 12.64x
Sussex 48 8.41x
Middlesex 43 1.27x
Surrey 34 2.06x
Hampshire 21 3.03x
Warwickshire 17 1.99x
Wiltshire 16 5.35x
Devon 13 1.85x
Gloucestershire 7 1.05x
Essex 2 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 26 Dousts recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.43x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 26 62.43x
Margate St John Baptist 24 113.48x
Greenwich 18 33.41x
Alton Barnes 15 8333.33x
Hackney London 14 7.38x
Lamberhurstsussex 14 1891.89x
Milton In Gravesend 13 75.06x
Portsea 13 9.56x
Camberwell 12 5.55x
Wadhurst 12 320.00x
Frindsbury 11 252.87x
Aston 10 4.25x
Battersea 10 8.03x
Higham 9 576.92x
Tottenham 9 16.69x
Winchelsea St Thomas 9 1267.61x
Exeter St David 8 132.89x
Minster In Sheppey 8 41.82x
Birmingham 7 2.46x
Limehouse London 7 18.84x
Marden 7 258.30x
Newington 7 5.60x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 9.60x
Hythe St Leonard 5 122.55x
Lamberhurst 5 347.22x
St Pancras London 5 1.84x
Goudhurst 4 125.00x
Kings Worthy 4 769.23x
Strood 4 60.70x
Cockington 3 714.29x
Lambeth 3 1.02x
Paddington London 3 2.41x
St Peter Colebrook 3 306.12x
Brighton 2 1.74x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 16.61x
Clapham 2 4.73x
Deal 2 20.30x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.25x
Hove 2 7.99x
Leominster 2 108.70x
Maidstone 2 5.81x
Newick 2 160.00x
Oare 2 338.98x
Bovey Tracey 1 40.65x
Chatham 1 3.15x
Cheltenham 1 1.95x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.25x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 8.94x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 6.20x
Folkestone 1 4.46x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 95.24x
Islington London 1 0.30x
Lewisham 1 1.62x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.39x
Portsmouth 1 6.26x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 27.86x
Sevenoaks 1 10.68x
St George Martyr London 1 14.58x
St Michael Wood Street 1 625.00x
Walmer 1 19.92x
West Ham 1 0.68x
Woodborough 1 217.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 18
George 15
Charles 12
Thomas 10
Alfred 9
Henry 9
John 9
Arthur 8
Albert 7
James 7
Edward 5
Stephen 5
Frederick 4
Joseph 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Leonard 3
Benjamin 2
David 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Charley 1
Charlie 1
Chas.E. 1
Deduard 1
Dudley 1
Earnest 1
Ed. 1
Edmund 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Hennry 1
Isaac 1
Matthew 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Stanly 1
Stephn.K. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Doust surname: questions and answers

How common was the Doust surname in 1881?

In 1881, 348 people were recorded with the Doust surname. That placed it at #8,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Doust surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016. That gives Doust a modern rank of #10,625.

What does the Doust surname mean?

An English surname derived from a Middle English word meaning 'dusty'.

What does the Doust map show?

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