NameCensus.

UK surname

Dube

A surname of Nguni origin referring to a zebra, likely given to a swift or agile person.

In the 1881 census there were 2 people recorded with the Dube surname, ranking it #33,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,231, ranked #4,849, up from #33,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea, Luton and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dube is 1,231 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61450.0%.

1881 census count

2

Ranked #33,721

Modern count

1,231

2016, ranked #4,849

Peak year

2016

1,231 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dube had 2 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,231 in 2016, ranked #4,849.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Dube surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dube surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dube 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 2 #33,721
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 3 #34,063
1911 historical 6 #33,255
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 187 #18,708
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 500 #9,481
2004 modern 648 #7,861
2005 modern 789 #6,673
2006 modern 866 #6,221
2007 modern 898 #6,096
2008 modern 967 #5,798
2009 modern 1,065 #5,474
2010 modern 1,172 #5,143
2011 modern 1,132 #5,244
2012 modern 1,155 #5,068
2013 modern 1,198 #4,986
2014 modern 1,215 #4,957
2015 modern 1,229 #4,867
2016 modern 1,231 #4,849

Geography

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Where Dubes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southend-on-Sea, Luton and Aylesbury Vale. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southend-on-Sea 007 Southend-on-Sea
2 Southend-on-Sea 015 Southend-on-Sea
3 Luton 019 Luton
4 Aylesbury Vale 015 Aylesbury Vale
5 Luton 021 Luton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dube

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dube

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Dube surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Dube 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 often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dube is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dube is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dube 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 Dube is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Dube

The surname Dube is of French origin, deriving from the Old French word "dube" which means "hill" or "hillock." This name first emerged in the region of Normandy in northern France during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dube date back to the 12th century in various administrative and legal documents from the Duchy of Normandy. One notable early bearer of this surname was Guillaume Dube, a Norman landowner who lived in the village of Beaumesnil in the late 1100s.

In the centuries that followed, the name Dube spread across France and eventually to other parts of Europe as families migrated. Some variations in spelling arose, such as Dubé, Dubee, and Dubaye, but all stemmed from the same Old French root.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Dube name in England was Robert Dube, a merchant from Rouen who settled in London in the early 15th century. Records show he was granted a license to trade with the city's wool merchants in 1412.

Another prominent individual with the Dube surname was Jean Dube, a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution and settled in the Dutch Republic in the late 16th century. He became a successful merchant and banker in Amsterdam.

In the 17th century, Jacques Dube was a French soldier and explorer who accompanied the famous explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle on his expeditions through the Great Lakes region of North America. Jacques Dube is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to set foot in what is now the state of Illinois.

During the French Revolution of the late 18th century, Pierre-Joseph Dube was a Catholic priest who became a vocal supporter of the revolutionary cause. He published several pamphlets advocating for the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic.

In more recent history, Fernand Dube was a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1957 to 1968, representing the riding of Restigouche—Madawaska in New Brunswick. He was born in 1904 and passed away in 1985.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dube families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dube 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. Middlesex leads with 2 Dubes recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2 10.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chelsea London in Middlesex leads with 2 Dubes recorded in 1881 and an index of 344.83x.

Place Total Index
Chelsea London 2 344.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
A. 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 Dube households.

Occupation Count
Cook N D 1

FAQ

Dube surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dube surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2 people were recorded with the Dube surname. That placed it at #33,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dube surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,231 in 2016. That gives Dube a modern rank of #4,849.

What does the Dube surname mean?

A surname of Nguni origin referring to a zebra, likely given to a swift or agile person.

What does the Dube map show?

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