NameCensus.

UK surname

Dummett

An English surname derived from the Middle English word "dum," meaning mute or silent.

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Dummett surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 401, ranked #11,857, up from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Buckland St Mary, Cullompton and Berryn Arbor. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Taunton Deane and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dummett is 449 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 223.4%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

401

2016, ranked #11,857

Peak year

1998

449 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dummett had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016, ranked #11,857.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 281 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dummett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dummett surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dummett 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 109 #19,693
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 145 #18,752
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 281 #11,953
1997 modern 411 #10,782
1998 modern 449 #10,428
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 423 #10,941
2001 modern 417 #10,878
2002 modern 429 #10,858
2003 modern 385 #11,570
2004 modern 393 #11,433
2005 modern 382 #11,591
2006 modern 384 #11,579
2007 modern 382 #11,775
2008 modern 388 #11,745
2009 modern 398 #11,768
2010 modern 411 #11,723
2011 modern 413 #11,560
2012 modern 392 #11,898
2013 modern 403 #11,850
2014 modern 402 #11,949
2015 modern 395 #12,015
2016 modern 401 #11,857

Geography

Back to top

Where Dummetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Buckland St Mary, Cullompton, Berryn Arbor, Somerton and Braunton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Taunton Deane, Bridgend and Caerphilly. 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 Buckland St Mary Somerset
2 Cullompton Devon
3 Berryn Arbor Devon
4 Somerton Somerset
5 Braunton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 001 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Taunton Deane 013 Taunton Deane
3 Bridgend 009 Bridgend
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 027 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dummett

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dummett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dummett, 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 Dummett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dummett 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dummett 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

Dummett 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dummett

The surname Dummett has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning a hill, and "mu?" meaning a mouth or opening, likely referring to a geographical feature near where the original bearers lived.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1199, where a Walter de Dunmuth is mentioned. This spelling variation points to the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the Dummett surname emerged as a distinct lineage in the county of Gloucestershire. Records from this period include a Richard Dummett who held lands in the village of Painswick in 1272.

The Domesday Book, a great survey of English lands commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Dummett name. However, it does mention several places with similar names like Dunmow in Essex, which could be related to the name's origins.

Notable historical figures bearing the Dummett surname include Sir John Dummett (1537-1587), a prominent English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. Another remarkable individual was William Dummett (1701-1780), a renowned clockmaker from London whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy.

In the literary world, the name is associated with Michael Dummett (1925-2011), a celebrated British philosopher and logician who made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and the philosophy of language.

Other notable individuals include James Dummett (1845-1921), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and Sir John Dummett (1899-1986), a distinguished English barrister and judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dummett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dummett 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. Devon leads with 44 Dummetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.48x.

County Total Index
Devon 44 17.48x
Somerset 44 22.60x
Middlesex 21 1.74x
Gloucestershire 6 2.53x
Lancashire 6 0.42x
Hertfordshire 1 1.20x
Sussex 1 0.49x
Wiltshire 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buckland St Mary in Somerset leads with 13 Dummetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5200.00x.

Place Total Index
Buckland St Mary 13 5200.00x
Cullompton 9 818.18x
Tiverton 9 207.37x
Hackney London 7 10.32x
Marwood 7 2121.21x
Liverpool 6 6.88x
Somerton 6 759.49x
Crewkerne 5 241.55x
Laira 5 8333.33x
St Marylebone London 5 7.74x
Northam 4 218.58x
Westminster St Margaret 4 68.61x
Islington London 3 2.56x
Wellington 3 113.64x
Barnstaple 2 50.63x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 25.28x
Bristol St Paul In 2 31.65x
Combe St Nicholas 2 425.53x
Corston 2 1250.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 10.31x
Podimore Milton 2 5000.00x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 2 127.39x
West Teignmouth 2 103.63x
Willand 2 1428.57x
Wookey 2 465.12x
Biddisham 1 2000.00x
Bristol St Augustine 1 26.11x
Clifton 1 8.34x
Cuckfield 1 48.54x
Curry Mallet 1 500.00x
Hunsdon 1 454.55x
Ilminster 1 73.53x
Pilton 1 120.48x
St Martin In Fields 1 13.81x
St Pancras London 1 1.03x
Stockland 1 277.78x
Taunton St Mary 1 28.01x
Tintinhull 1 588.24x
Wedmore 1 78.74x
Westwood 1 454.55x
Yeovil 1 25.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 11
Mary 9
Sarah 5
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Annie 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Betty 1
Carrie 1
Charlett 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizb.H. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
J. 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Marie 1
Minna 1
Nelly 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
John 6
Thomas 6
James 5
Robert 5
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.H. 1
George 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Dummett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dummett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Dummett surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dummett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 401 in 2016. That gives Dummett a modern rank of #11,857.

What does the Dummett surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English word "dum," meaning mute or silent.

What does the Dummett map show?

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