NameCensus.

UK surname

Dumbell

In the 1881 census there were 235 people recorded with the Dumbell surname, ranking it #11,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #11,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Liverpool and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Knowsley and Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dumbell is 305 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.3%.

1881 census count

235

Ranked #11,573

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1911

305 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dumbell had 235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 305 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dumbell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dumbell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dumbell 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 235 #11,573
1891 historical 264 #12,235
1901 historical 285 #12,063
1911 historical 305 #11,307
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 251 #15,631
1999 modern 258 #15,467
2000 modern 250 #15,741
2001 modern 241 #15,870
2002 modern 240 #16,291
2003 modern 240 #16,061
2004 modern 236 #16,335
2005 modern 234 #16,388
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 247 #16,042
2008 modern 248 #16,163
2009 modern 254 #16,230
2010 modern 260 #16,343
2011 modern 248 #16,735
2012 modern 241 #16,925
2013 modern 251 #16,734
2014 modern 247 #17,035
2015 modern 244 #17,090
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

Back to top

Where Dumbells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Liverpool, West Derby, Warrington and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Knowsley and Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 023 Liverpool
2 Knowsley 003 Knowsley
3 Knowsley 005 Knowsley
4 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
5 Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry Moray

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dumbell

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dumbell

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dumbell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dumbell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Dumbell is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

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

Dumbell is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dumbell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dumbell 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 156 Dumbells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.69x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 156 5.69x
Staffordshire 24 3.08x
Cheshire 19 3.72x
Middlesex 12 0.52x
Sussex 8 2.05x
Yorkshire 7 0.31x
Essex 4 0.88x
Isle of Man 3 6.99x
Kent 2 0.25x
Dorset 1 0.66x
Hampshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkdale in Lancashire leads with 27 Dumbells recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.52x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 27 58.52x
Everton 24 27.45x
Bootle Cum Linacre 22 101.01x
Warrington 21 64.58x
Liverpool 13 7.80x
Walton On Hill 12 80.75x
Latchford 10 294.99x
Brighton 8 10.17x
Toxteth Park 7 7.54x
Wolverhampton 7 11.67x
Shoreditch London 6 5.99x
West Derby 6 7.48x
Laleham 5 1136.36x
Much Woolton 5 134.41x
Ranton 5 2272.73x
Runcorn 5 42.48x
Skircoat 5 55.37x
Ardwick 4 16.17x
Eccleshall 4 135.14x
Wanstead 4 50.06x
Wolstanton 4 16.88x
Wolstanton Thursfield 4 421.05x
Blackburn 3 4.11x
Great Bolton 2 5.51x
Maughold 2 60.42x
Murston 2 285.71x
Prescot 2 40.32x
Windle 2 12.96x
Winwick With Hulme 2 512.82x
Adel Cum Eccup 1 105.26x
Chester St Bridget 1 114.94x
Crondall 1 39.37x
Formby 1 32.15x
Great Sankey 1 196.08x
Knutsford Nether 1 32.47x
Little Bolton 1 2.84x
Lymm 1 26.95x
Monks Coppenhall 1 5.19x
Moulton 1 454.55x
Onchan 1 8.08x
Paddington London 1 1.18x
Portland 1 12.25x
Southworth With Croft 1 121.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 9
Ann 7
Margaret 7
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Matilda 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Anna 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Heriet 1
Jessie 1
Katherine 1
Lily 1
Maria 1
Miller 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 21
William 18
James 14
George 10
Alfred 7
Henry 7
Joseph 6
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Samuel 4
Harry 3
Arthur 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alured 1
Amos 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Iane 1
Jonathan 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
W.H. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dumbell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dumbell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 235 people were recorded with the Dumbell surname. That placed it at #11,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dumbell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Dumbell a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Dumbell map show?

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