UK surname
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley of the dumb people".
In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Dumford surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 44, ranked #35,224, down from #23,220 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dumford is 202 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.7%.
1881 census count
73
Ranked #23,220
Modern count
44
2016, ranked #35,224
Peak year
1861
202 bearers
Map years
3
1861 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Dumford surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Dumford surname density by area, 1901 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 48 | #24,615 |
| 1861 | historical | 202 | #11,906 |
| 1881 | historical | 73 | #23,220 |
| 1891 | historical | 189 | #15,547 |
| 1901 | historical | 102 | #22,596 |
| 1911 | historical | 87 | #24,147 |
| 1997 | modern | 42 | #33,459 |
| 1998 | modern | 44 | #33,462 |
| 1999 | modern | 42 | #33,778 |
| 2000 | modern | 45 | #33,526 |
| 2001 | modern | 42 | #33,658 |
| 2002 | modern | 41 | #34,032 |
| 2003 | modern | 40 | #34,215 |
| 2004 | modern | 41 | #34,306 |
| 2005 | modern | 41 | #34,478 |
| 2006 | modern | 43 | #34,647 |
| 2007 | modern | 43 | #34,845 |
| 2008 | modern | 43 | #34,931 |
| 2009 | modern | 42 | #35,148 |
| 2010 | modern | 44 | #35,183 |
| 2011 | modern | 41 | #35,340 |
| 2012 | modern | 37 | #35,531 |
| 2013 | modern | 39 | #35,483 |
| 2014 | modern | 43 | #35,293 |
| 2015 | modern | 45 | #35,161 |
| 2016 | modern | 44 | #35,224 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Liverpool, St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars | Leicestershire |
| 3 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 4 | St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet | London (East Districts) |
| 5 | St Mary Islington | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Dumford surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dumford, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Dumford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Dumford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Dumford is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dumford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Dumford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname DUMFORD is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place called Dumford, which was likely a small village or hamlet. The name is composed of two elements: "dum," which may have been derived from the Old English word "dun," meaning a hill or low ridge, and "ford," referring to a shallow crossing point of a river or stream.
The earliest known record of the name DUMFORD can be traced back to the late 13th century, when it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. These rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, listing the names of landowners and their holdings.
During the 14th century, the name DUMFORD appeared in various other historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379. These records suggest that the name was fairly widespread across different regions of England at the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the DUMFORD surname was William DUMFORD, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another notable individual was John DUMFORD, a landowner from Oxfordshire who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334.
In the 16th century, the name DUMFORD appeared in the records of the Parish of St. Mary's in Shrewsbury, where a family by that name was recorded as residing in the area. One member of this family, Thomas DUMFORD, born in 1548, was a prominent merchant and alderman in the town.
During the 17th century, the DUMFORD surname was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where a family of that name owned land and properties. One notable member of this family was Sir Edward DUMFORD, born in 1618, who served as a member of parliament for Gloucestershire in the 1660s.
In the 18th century, the DUMFORD name continued to be present in various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, and Yorkshire. One notable figure from this period was William DUMFORD, born in 1732, who was a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker in London.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dumford surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Rutland leads with 23 Dumfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 439.77x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Rutland leads with 13 Dumfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 18571.43x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Preston | 13 | 18571.43x |
| Brighton | 8 | 33.03x |
| Horton In Bradford | 7 | 63.52x |
| Ketton | 7 | 2592.59x |
| Swindon | 6 | 122.95x |
| Liverpool | 5 | 9.74x |
| Queenborough | 4 | 1666.67x |
| Camberwell | 3 | 6.60x |
| Ridlington | 3 | 5000.00x |
| Croydon | 2 | 10.38x |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 2 | 16.79x |
| Pitcombe | 2 | 2000.00x |
| Rotherhithe | 2 | 22.73x |
| Chertsey | 1 | 44.64x |
| Crowle | 1 | 144.93x |
| East Malling | 1 | 172.41x |
| Hammersmith London | 1 | 5.70x |
| Holdenhurst | 1 | 26.11x |
| Southampton St Mary | 1 | 10.89x |
| Sutton St Mary St James | 1 | 769.23x |
| Tonbridge | 1 | 11.42x |
| Walthamstow | 1 | 19.76x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dumford surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dumford surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Dumford households.
FAQ
In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Dumford surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 44 in 2016. That gives Dumford a modern rank of #35,224.
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley of the dumb people".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dumford bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.