NameCensus.

UK surname

Douthwaite

A locational surname referring to someone from Douthwaite in Yorkshire.

In the 1881 census there were 649 people recorded with the Douthwaite surname, ranking it #5,499 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,226, ranked #4,861, up from #5,499 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Douthwaite is 1,247 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 88.9%.

1881 census count

649

Ranked #5,499

Modern count

1,226

2016, ranked #4,861

Peak year

2011

1,247 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Douthwaite had 649 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,499 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,226 in 2016, ranked #4,861.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 979 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Douthwaite surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Douthwaite surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Douthwaite 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 413 #5,872
1861 historical 449 #5,764
1881 historical 649 #5,499
1891 historical 799 #5,033
1901 historical 910 #5,099
1911 historical 979 #4,621
1997 modern 1,186 #4,755
1998 modern 1,223 #4,807
1999 modern 1,229 #4,820
2000 modern 1,208 #4,870
2001 modern 1,203 #4,792
2002 modern 1,217 #4,847
2003 modern 1,170 #4,907
2004 modern 1,163 #4,948
2005 modern 1,175 #4,847
2006 modern 1,198 #4,778
2007 modern 1,206 #4,795
2008 modern 1,208 #4,816
2009 modern 1,223 #4,862
2010 modern 1,240 #4,907
2011 modern 1,247 #4,827
2012 modern 1,219 #4,850
2013 modern 1,233 #4,881
2014 modern 1,243 #4,860
2015 modern 1,214 #4,918
2016 modern 1,226 #4,861

Geography

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Where Douthwaites are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, London parishes, Gateshead, Shap and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale and County Durham. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Shap Westmorland
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
2 County Durham 058 County Durham
3 County Durham 057 County Durham
4 County Durham 064 County Durham
5 County Durham 056 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Douthwaite

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Douthwaite

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Douthwaite surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Douthwaite 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 house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Douthwaite is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Douthwaite is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Douthwaite 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 Douthwaite 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.

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Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Douthwaite

The surname Douthwaite is of English origin, deriving from the region of North Yorkshire. It is a locational name, referring to a place once called "Duthwait" or "Duthwait Peel," meaning a "deserted dwelling" or "farm." The name likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century, during the medieval period.

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Douthwaite appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a certain "Johannes de Douthwayt" is mentioned. This suggests the surname was already well-established by the late 14th century in the Yorkshire area.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines records from 1486, which document a land transaction involving a "Robertus Douthwaite." This spelling variation highlights the diverse forms the name took in its earlier days.

One notable bearer of the Douthwaite name was Sir William Douthwaite (1592-1668), an English lawyer and parliamentarian who served as a judge during the English Civil War era. He was involved in the trial of King Charles I and later became a member of Oliver Cromwell's Council of State.

In the 18th century, John Douthwaite (1730-1802) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including Whitby Town Hall and Scarborough's Crescent Gardens.

Moving into the 19th century, George Douthwaite (1817-1898) was a influential figure in the British railway industry. He served as the chief mechanical engineer for the Great Northern Railway and was responsible for designing and improving various locomotives during the Victorian era.

Additionally, the name Douthwaite has historical ties to several place names in Yorkshire, such as Douthwaiterigg, Douthwaitedale, and Douthwaite Hill, all of which likely derived from the original "Duthwait" locale.

While the surname Douthwaite is not among the most common in England, it has a rich heritage rooted in the Yorkshire region, with documented examples stretching back centuries. The name's evolution reflects the linguistic and cultural influences that shaped English surnames over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Douthwaite families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Douthwaite 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. Yorkshire leads with 265 Douthwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.18x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 265 4.18x
Durham 104 5.46x
Lancashire 82 1.08x
Westmorland 67 47.64x
Northumberland 27 2.84x
Cumberland 22 3.99x
Surrey 17 0.55x
Cheshire 15 1.06x
Middlesex 11 0.17x
Hampshire 8 0.61x
Oxfordshire 8 2.02x
Denbighshire 7 2.90x
Isle of Man 6 5.05x
Warwickshire 5 0.31x
Kent 4 0.18x
Devon 1 0.08x
Essex 1 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.79x
Leicestershire 1 0.14x
Lincolnshire 1 0.10x
Monmouthshire 1 0.22x
Northamptonshire 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 1.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lancaster in Lancashire leads with 34 Douthwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.25x.

Place Total Index
Lancaster 34 75.25x
Middlesbrough 19 23.01x
Elswick 15 19.74x
Shap 13 419.35x
Stranton 13 20.28x
Nether Hallam 12 13.99x
Gateshead 11 7.72x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 11 324.48x
Holy Trinity 11 7.21x
Beverley St Mary 10 107.99x
Bishopwearmouth 10 6.12x
Westoe 10 9.27x
Cleckheaton 9 38.53x
Hyde 9 21.59x
Kendal 9 34.97x
Marske In Guisbrough 9 79.93x
Newton Regny Catterlen 9 1428.57x
Whitby 9 42.12x
Brotton 8 96.62x
Everton 8 3.31x
Ganton 8 1081.08x
Gilling 8 418.85x
Kirkby Moorside 8 198.02x
Leeds 8 2.23x
Portsea 8 3.11x
Rousham 8 2352.94x
Conistone Cum Kilnsey 7 1794.87x
Dufton 7 769.23x
Nunnington 7 795.45x
Pickhill With Roxby 7 1129.03x
Ruabon 7 21.06x
Ruswarp 7 99.29x
Seaton Ross 7 673.08x
Allerton Bywater 6 174.93x
Battersea 6 2.55x
Bedlington 6 18.87x
Brandon Byshottles 6 25.16x
East Cowton 6 705.88x
Hartlepool 6 22.17x
Middleton In Teesdale 6 119.52x
Onchan 6 17.53x
Roundhay 6 337.08x
Skerton 6 96.31x
South Shields 6 35.38x
Stockton On Tees 6 6.54x
Bermondsey 5 2.62x
Crosscanonby 5 27.44x
Ellel 5 127.55x
Haswell 5 36.66x
Hugill 5 581.40x
Scarborough 5 8.68x
Swine 5 1162.79x
West Auckland 5 71.84x
Accrington 4 5.79x
Ackworth 4 82.14x
Ambleside 4 91.74x
Caton 4 168.07x
Chorley 4 9.39x
Crakehall 4 377.36x
Headingley Cum Burley 4 9.80x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 4.85x
Lambeth 4 0.72x
Lofthouse 4 42.24x
Newby 4 740.74x
Newton In Ashton Under 4 28.69x
Sunderland Bridge 4 132.45x
West Derby 4 1.80x
Ardwick 3 4.38x
Aston 3 0.68x
Bromley London 3 2.13x
Deptford St Paul 3 1.78x
Durham St Nicholas 3 64.10x
Falsgrave 3 32.12x
Houghton Le Spring 3 22.80x
Langton 3 526.32x
New Malton 3 39.58x
Ripon 3 20.39x
St Pancras London 3 0.58x
Strickland Kettle 3 223.88x
Thornaby 3 12.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 52
Elizabeth 28
Jane 25
Sarah 20
Hannah 15
Margaret 15
Ann 13
Emma 10
Annie 8
Alice 7
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Frances 6
Martha 6
Agnes 5
Anne 5
Edith 5
Eliza 5
Isabella 5
Maria 4
Ada 3
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Harriet 3
Louisa 3
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Grace 2
Isabel 2
Lydia 2
Margret 2
Nancy 2
Ruth 2
Susanna 2
Anna 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Cath. 1
D. 1
Deborah 1
Dora 1
Eliz.A. 1
Elizh. 1
Henrietta 1
Isabell 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
John 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 55
William 49
George 36
Thomas 26
Henry 16
James 14
Robert 13
Charles 9
Harry 7
Richard 7
Joseph 6
Edward 5
Walter 5
Anthony 4
Ralph 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Ernest 3
Geo. 3
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Lawrence 2
Mathew 2
Robt. 2
Rt. 2
Samuel 2
Timothy 2
Tom 2
Arnott 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Dixon 1
Douglas 1
Ebby 1
Ebeneezar 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
G.W. 1
Guy 1
Horace 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Matthew 1
Percival 1
Rich. 1

FAQ

Douthwaite surname: questions and answers

How common was the Douthwaite surname in 1881?

In 1881, 649 people were recorded with the Douthwaite surname. That placed it at #5,499 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Douthwaite surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,226 in 2016. That gives Douthwaite a modern rank of #4,861.

What does the Douthwaite surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Douthwaite in Yorkshire.

What does the Douthwaite map show?

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