NameCensus.

UK surname

Doward

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Doward.

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Doward surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, down from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Knowsley and South Ribble.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Doward is 202 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.6%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

1997

202 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Doward had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 192 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Doward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Doward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Doward 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 165 #14,112
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 181 #16,107
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 202 #17,514
1998 modern 192 #18,561
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 176 #19,829
2003 modern 167 #20,245
2004 modern 163 #20,685
2005 modern 162 #20,716
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 173 #20,465
2009 modern 179 #20,418
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Dowards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean, St Leonard Shoreditch, Llanwonno and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Knowsley and South Ribble. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean Monmouthshire
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Llanwonno Glamorganshire
5 London parishes London 1

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 015 St. Helens
2 Knowsley 007 Knowsley
3 Knowsley 016 Knowsley
4 St. Helens 011 St. Helens
5 South Ribble 009 South Ribble

Forenames

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First names often paired with Doward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Doward

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Doward surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Doward 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 predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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, Doward 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

Doward 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

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

Meaning and origin of Doward

The surname DOWARD is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dor" meaning door and "weard" meaning guard or keeper, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a doorkeeper or gatekeeper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DOWARD name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a William Doreward is mentioned. This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

During the 13th century, the DOWARD name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which listed a Thomas Doreward. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by this time.

In the 14th century, the DOWARD name was associated with a village in Herefordshire called Doward, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname. This village is mentioned in the Nomina Villarum of 1316, which was a survey of settlements in England at the time.

One notable figure bearing the DOWARD surname was Sir John Doward (c. 1410 - 1501), a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in the late 15th century. He was also a Sheriff of Herefordshire and is mentioned in various historical records from that period.

Another prominent individual was Robert Doward (c. 1545 - 1619), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stafford and the Rector of Trentham in Staffordshire during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 17th century, the DOWARD name appeared in parish records across various counties in England, including Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, suggesting its continued presence and spread throughout the country.

One notable figure from this period was Thomas Doward (c. 1630 - 1691), a English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained" and "A Treatise on Justification."

In the 18th century, the DOWARD surname was further documented in various records, such as the baptism registers of St. Mary's Church in Hereford, where several individuals with the name were recorded.

During the 19th century, the DOWARD name continued to be present in various parts of England, as evidenced by census records and birth, marriage, and death registers from that time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Doward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Doward 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. Lancashire leads with 58 Dowards recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.63x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 58 3.63x
Middlesex 37 2.75x
Gloucestershire 21 7.95x
Glamorgan 6 2.56x
Aberdeenshire 5 4.01x
Northumberland 3 1.50x
Angus 2 1.60x
Berkshire 1 0.99x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.23x
Devon 1 0.36x
Durham 1 0.25x
Lanarkshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 6.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 13 Dowards recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.61x.

Place Total Index
Windle 13 144.61x
West Dean 11 256.41x
Widnes 9 78.13x
North Meols 8 51.15x
Aspull 7 186.17x
Prescot 7 242.21x
Shoreditch London 7 11.99x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 19.21x
Clerkenwell London 5 15.73x
Kensington London 5 6.68x
Llanwonno 5 59.38x
St Giles Cripplegate 5 279.33x
Chelsea London 4 9.86x
St Luke London 4 18.53x
St Pancras London 4 3.69x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 34.09x
Elswick 3 18.76x
Everton 3 5.89x
Ince In Makerfield 3 40.38x
Tidenham Beachley 3 1034.48x
Alveston 2 540.54x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 8.05x
Chadderton 2 25.61x
Hammersmith London 2 6.03x
Kirkdale 2 7.44x
Wigan 2 8.96x
Arbroath 1 24.21x
Cardiff St Mary 1 7.75x
Govan 1 0.93x
Kingston Lisle 1 625.00x
Liff Benvie 1 5.28x
Manchester 1 1.39x
Norwood 1 32.47x
Oldham 1 1.94x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.63x
Royal Navy 1 7.29x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 30.86x
Westoe 1 4.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Mary 8
Alice 4
Sarah 4
Eliza 3
Augusta 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Esther 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Charlote 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Isabel 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Margrt. 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1
Seleanor 1
Susan 1
Virtue 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 12
Edward 4
Henry 4
James 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Peter 2
Abasalem 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Levi 1
Mark 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Doward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Doward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Doward surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Doward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Doward a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Doward surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Doward.

What does the Doward map show?

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