NameCensus.

UK surname

Dugdale

Originally referring to someone from Dugdale, a valley in Derbyshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,030 people recorded with the Dugdale surname, ranking it #2,167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,336, ranked #2,791, down from #2,167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Whalley and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley, Fylde and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dugdale is 2,616 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.1%.

1881 census count

2,030

Ranked #2,167

Modern count

2,336

2016, ranked #2,791

Peak year

1911

2,616 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dugdale had 2,030 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,336 in 2016, ranked #2,791.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,616 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dugdale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dugdale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dugdale 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 1,322 #2,172
1861 historical 1,412 #2,024
1881 historical 2,030 #2,167
1891 historical 2,093 #2,219
1901 historical 2,411 #2,253
1911 historical 2,616 #1,963
1997 modern 2,431 #2,591
1998 modern 2,470 #2,645
1999 modern 2,499 #2,637
2000 modern 2,456 #2,660
2001 modern 2,392 #2,667
2002 modern 2,449 #2,674
2003 modern 2,388 #2,675
2004 modern 2,363 #2,699
2005 modern 2,333 #2,694
2006 modern 2,320 #2,706
2007 modern 2,355 #2,699
2008 modern 2,373 #2,695
2009 modern 2,396 #2,735
2010 modern 2,408 #2,778
2011 modern 2,394 #2,761
2012 modern 2,298 #2,813
2013 modern 2,361 #2,788
2014 modern 2,394 #2,771
2015 modern 2,360 #2,780
2016 modern 2,336 #2,791

Geography

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Where Dugdales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Whalley, Blackburn and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley, Fylde, Craven, Burnley and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Whalley Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
2 Fylde 002 Fylde
3 Craven 003 Craven
4 Burnley 010 Burnley
5 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dugdale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dugdale

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dugdale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dugdale household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Dugdale is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dugdale is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dugdale

The surname Dugdale is of Anglo-Saxon origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period in England. It is a locational surname derived from the place name Dugdale, which means "valley of the ducks" or "ducks' dale" in Old English. The name is thought to have originated in the village of Dugdale, located in the county of Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dugdale surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Ducchedal" and refers to a landowner in the village of the same name.

In the 13th century, the Dugdale family was well-established in Yorkshire, and several members of the family held prominent positions in the local community. One notable figure was Sir William Dugdale (1605-1686), an English antiquary and historian who is best known for his work "Antiquities of Warwickshire," published in 1656. He also served as Garter Principal King of Arms, the highest heraldic office in England.

Another important individual with the Dugdale surname was Sir John Dugdale (1628-1700), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in the late 17th century. He was also a friend and patron of the famous diarist, Samuel Pepys.

In the 18th century, the Dugdale name spread beyond Yorkshire and became more widespread throughout England. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Dugdale (1743-1824), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Dugdale surname can also be found in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant British influence, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One notable bearer of the name was Sir William Dugdale (1922-2014), a British-born Canadian lawyer and businessman who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1976 to 1981.

Throughout its history, the Dugdale surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including landowners, lawyers, politicians, military officers, and historians. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling or pronunciation over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the small village in Yorkshire where it first emerged.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dugdale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dugdale 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 1,141 Dugdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,141 4.78x
Yorkshire 285 1.43x
Cheshire 104 2.34x
Norfolk 90 2.91x
Hampshire 47 1.14x
Dorset 38 2.88x
Westmorland 37 8.37x
Isle of Man 36 9.64x
Middlesex 35 0.17x
Cumberland 32 1.85x
Durham 31 0.52x
Devon 27 0.64x
Cornwall 24 1.05x
Northumberland 20 0.67x
Surrey 18 0.18x
Kent 14 0.20x
Gloucestershire 12 0.30x
Warwickshire 12 0.24x
Somerset 9 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.22x
Glamorgan 5 0.14x
Oxfordshire 5 0.40x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.33x
Derbyshire 4 0.13x
Channel Islands 3 0.50x
Leicestershire 3 0.13x
West Lothian 3 0.99x
Worcestershire 3 0.11x
Berkshire 2 0.13x
Essex 2 0.05x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Midlothian 2 0.07x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Ayrshire 1 0.07x
Flintshire 1 0.18x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 85 Dugdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.39x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 85 13.39x
Barrowford Booth 60 227.19x
Habergham Eaves 60 27.50x
Manchester 52 4.84x
Burnley 48 23.88x
Clitheroe 48 68.33x
Colne 46 64.70x
Great Little Marsden 41 37.50x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 37 145.10x
Everton 37 4.86x
Accrington 34 15.67x
Barnoldswick 31 111.43x
Preston 28 4.38x
Alvanley 26 1150.44x
Great Bolton 25 7.91x
Newchurch 24 12.29x
Ambleside 23 167.88x
Madron Penzance 22 26.57x
Bradford 20 17.90x
Wigton 20 77.04x
Liverpool 19 1.31x
Marton 19 119.72x
Keighley 18 8.47x
Lancaster 18 12.67x
Lockwood 18 25.10x
Stansfield 18 24.54x
Farnworth 17 11.89x
Mellor 17 225.17x
Moss Side 16 12.74x
Clayton Le Moors 15 32.39x
Norwich St Paul 15 81.04x
Salford 15 2.14x
Stretford 15 11.42x
Todmorden Walsden 15 23.46x
Harwood 13 104.25x
Sowerby In Halifax 13 19.94x
Great Harwood 12 27.82x
Huddersfield 12 4.13x
Soyland 12 50.19x
Stockport 12 5.25x
Wadsworth 12 36.99x
Bowland Forest Low 11 526.32x
Ellel 11 89.36x
Layton With Warbreck 11 12.56x
Selby 11 26.40x
Andreas 10 98.72x
Long Preston 10 205.76x
West Parley 10 432.90x
Whalley 10 28.75x
Bedminster 9 2.96x
Berry Pomeroy 9 129.68x
Birkenhead 9 2.54x
Ingham 9 285.71x
Lezayre 9 53.70x
Portsea 9 1.11x
Satterthwaite 9 288.46x
Southwick 9 15.88x
Bolton By Bowland 8 165.63x
Haslingden 8 8.09x
Holy Trinity 8 1.67x
Padiham 8 13.87x
Pendleton In Salford 8 2.81x
Poulton Barre 8 29.46x
Rastrick 8 14.45x
Southampton St Michael 8 58.91x
St Cuthbert W O 8 9.48x
Toxteth Park 8 0.99x
Tunstead 8 275.86x
Wareham Lady St Mary 8 78.43x
Bishopwearmouth 7 1.36x
Blatchinworth 7 12.88x
Bury 7 2.57x
Casterton 7 175.00x
Halton 7 70.64x
Maughold 7 24.29x
Nateby 7 258.30x
North Meols 7 3.00x
Over Kellet 7 205.88x
Pickton 7 909.09x
Walton Le Dale 7 10.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 172
Elizabeth 106
Sarah 72
Ann 51
Alice 47
Jane 47
Margaret 46
Ellen 42
Martha 29
Annie 25
Hannah 22
Isabella 18
Eliza 15
Emma 15
Betty 13
Harriet 11
Catherine 10
Emily 10
Betsy 9
Clara 9
Maria 9
Agnes 8
Edith 8
Esther 8
Florence 8
Nancy 8
Ada 7
Amelia 7
Caroline 7
Fanny 7
Amy 6
Ethel 6
Grace 6
Lucy 6
Matilda 6
Susan 6
Charlotte 5
Gertrude 5
Rebecca 5
Susannah 5
Elizth. 4
Jessie 4
Louisa 4
Margt. 4
Theresa 4
Anne 3
Bessie 3
Harriett 3
Lydia 3
Minnie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 160
William 107
James 99
Thomas 66
Richard 50
Robert 50
George 41
Henry 33
Joseph 27
Charles 21
Edward 19
Albert 16
Samuel 16
Alfred 13
Arthur 12
Harry 10
Walter 9
Wm. 8
Frank 7
Roger 7
Thos. 7
Jonathan 6
Robt. 6
Benjamin 5
Willm. 5
Adam 4
Daniel 4
David 4
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Jno. 4
Matthew 4
Peter 4
Rd. 4
Stephen 4
Edwin 3
Frederick 3
Gabriel 3
Lawrence 3
Tom 3
Abraham 2
Ed. 2
Edwd. 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Mathew 2
Philip 2
Richd. 2
Sam 2
Squire 2

FAQ

Dugdale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dugdale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,030 people were recorded with the Dugdale surname. That placed it at #2,167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dugdale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,336 in 2016. That gives Dugdale a modern rank of #2,791.

What does the Dugdale surname mean?

Originally referring to someone from Dugdale, a valley in Derbyshire, England.

What does the Dugdale map show?

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