NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunford

From an English place name meaning "hill ford," referring to a ford at the foot of a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 1,810 people recorded with the Dunford surname, ranking it #2,405 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,749, ranked #2,441, down from #2,405 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newchurch and Poole St James. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, West Dorset and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunford is 2,972 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.9%.

1881 census count

1,810

Ranked #2,405

Modern count

2,749

2016, ranked #2,441

Peak year

1998

2,972 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunford had 1,810 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,405 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,749 in 2016, ranked #2,441.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,854 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dunford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunford 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 1,152 #2,453
1861 historical 1,144 #2,458
1881 historical 1,810 #2,405
1891 historical 2,048 #2,257
1901 historical 2,556 #2,150
1911 historical 2,854 #1,827
1997 modern 2,856 #2,261
1998 modern 2,972 #2,268
1999 modern 2,969 #2,286
2000 modern 2,960 #2,281
2001 modern 2,880 #2,288
2002 modern 2,947 #2,285
2003 modern 2,834 #2,320
2004 modern 2,828 #2,333
2005 modern 2,765 #2,351
2006 modern 2,773 #2,343
2007 modern 2,787 #2,352
2008 modern 2,778 #2,377
2009 modern 2,812 #2,398
2010 modern 2,863 #2,407
2011 modern 2,812 #2,416
2012 modern 2,719 #2,443
2013 modern 2,766 #2,450
2014 modern 2,799 #2,440
2015 modern 2,769 #2,440
2016 modern 2,749 #2,441

Geography

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Where Dunfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newchurch, Poole St James and Thornhill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, West Dorset, Wakefield, Weymouth and Portland and Eastleigh. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 Poole St James Dorset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Thornhill Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 010 Mendip
2 West Dorset 012 West Dorset
3 Wakefield 022 Wakefield
4 Weymouth and Portland 005 Weymouth and Portland
5 Eastleigh 005 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunford

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Dunford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dunford 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dunford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunford is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunford falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dunford 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 Dunford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dunford

The surname Dunford is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the place name "Dunford" in Yorkshire, England. This place name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "dun," meaning hill, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing.

During the medieval period, the name Dunford appeared in various historical records. One notable mention is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Dunforde," referring to a settlement in Yorkshire. This early documentation suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dunford was John Dunford, who lived in Yorkshire during the 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was William Dunford, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1230.

In the 16th century, the surname Dunford appeared in several parish records, including those of St. Peter's Church in Sheffield, Yorkshire. This indicates that the name had spread from its original Yorkshire origins to other parts of England.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Dunford. One such person was Sir William Dunford (1592-1667), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Salisbury during the reign of King Charles I.

Another prominent figure was John Dunford (1616-1687), an English Presbyterian minister and religious writer. He was known for his work "The Suffering Case of John Dunford," which detailed his experiences during the Restoration period.

In the 18th century, Samuel Dunford (1720-1799) was a notable English painter and engraver. He is particularly remembered for his landscapes and his work as an illustrator for various publications.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Dunford (1834-1897) was a British explorer and traveler. He is renowned for his extensive travels in Africa and his written accounts, such as "The Pamirs: Being a Narrative of a Year's Expedition on Horseback and on Foot Through Kashmir, Western Tibet, Chinese Tartary, and Russian Central Asia."

In the 20th century, one prominent individual with the surname Dunford was Sir Henry Dunford (1892-1972), a British civil engineer and public servant. He played a crucial role in the construction of the London Underground and served as the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1951 to 1952.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunford 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. Dorset leads with 315 Dunfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.17x.

County Total Index
Dorset 315 27.17x
Yorkshire 252 1.44x
Somerset 195 6.86x
Hampshire 194 5.36x
Middlesex 187 1.06x
Wiltshire 161 10.30x
Surrey 72 0.84x
Kent 71 1.18x
Gloucestershire 55 1.59x
Sussex 36 1.21x
Rutland 33 25.44x
Lancashire 25 0.12x
Berkshire 24 1.81x
Glamorgan 20 0.65x
Devon 18 0.49x
Lincolnshire 17 0.60x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.71x
Warwickshire 17 0.38x
Northumberland 16 0.61x
Essex 14 0.40x
Shropshire 13 0.85x
Leicestershire 10 0.51x
Oxfordshire 10 0.92x
Staffordshire 8 0.13x
Worcestershire 6 0.26x
Denbighshire 5 0.75x
Cornwall 3 0.15x
Derbyshire 3 0.11x
Monmouthshire 3 0.23x
Royal Navy 3 1.43x
Cardiganshire 2 0.46x
Channel Islands 2 0.38x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.29x
Merionethshire 1 0.31x
Renfrewshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thornhill in Yorkshire leads with 52 Dunfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 101.80x.

Place Total Index
Thornhill 52 101.80x
Northwood 49 95.03x
Islington London 42 2.45x
Soothill 38 60.09x
Shitlington 33 182.22x
Frome 29 42.64x
Ketton 26 385.19x
Rampisham 24 1371.43x
South Stoneham 24 30.55x
Great Cheverell 23 946.50x
Paddington London 21 3.23x
Ryde 21 27.00x
Parkstone 20 147.82x
Cattistock 17 529.60x
St Marylebone London 17 1.80x
Walcot 17 11.22x
Abbotsbury 16 270.27x
Birmingham 15 1.01x
Elswick 15 7.15x
Trowbridge 15 21.72x
Holdenhurst 14 14.74x
Kensington London 14 1.43x
Radstock 14 74.87x
Chelsea London 13 2.44x
Chertsey 13 23.37x
Dewsbury 13 7.24x
Hackney London 13 1.31x
Lambeth 13 0.84x
Overton 13 149.94x
Poole St James 13 29.84x
Potterne 13 185.71x
Sherborne 13 38.07x
West Ham 13 1.69x
Evercreech 12 175.18x
Lewisham 12 3.73x
Little Barrington 12 1237.11x
Maiden Newton 12 247.42x
Tottenham 12 4.27x
Wanstrow 12 600.00x
Bromley 11 11.97x
Merthyr Tydfil 11 3.72x
Normanton 11 20.91x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 2.81x
Epsom 10 23.84x
Kilmersdon 10 71.17x
Shoreditch London 10 1.31x
St George Hanover Square 10 3.21x
Stourpaine 10 294.12x
Wimborne Minster 10 53.33x
Winterborne Abbas 10 833.33x
Broadwater 9 13.17x
Christchurch 9 11.46x
Cirencester 9 19.19x
Clifton In York 9 24.58x
Corfe Castle 9 83.72x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 9 95.85x
Greenwich 9 3.20x
Humberstone 9 55.94x
Hurst 9 51.84x
Lillington 9 1058.82x
Liverpool 9 0.71x
Lonbridge Deverill 9 164.23x
Marlborough St Peter St 9 111.94x
Shepton Mallet 9 28.20x
Weymouth 9 40.98x
Doncaster 8 6.25x
Draycott In Clay 8 293.04x
Ewell 8 44.03x
Hampstead London 8 2.91x
Kinson 8 35.30x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 8 12.79x
Poplar London 8 2.40x
Southampton All Sts 8 12.88x
Stanton St Bernard 8 392.16x
Whittington 8 62.60x
Batcombe 7 186.67x
Holy Rood 7 95.63x
Newington 7 1.07x
Thornaby 7 10.70x
Yeovil 7 12.11x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 110
John 86
George 84
James 61
Henry 47
Charles 43
Thomas 41
Edward 31
Joseph 26
Frederick 21
Arthur 20
Richard 16
Alfred 15
Frank 15
Samuel 15
Robert 14
Harry 12
Albert 11
Herbert 9
Walter 9
Ernest 8
Francis 8
Fred 8
David 7
Edmund 7
Edwin 7
Sidney 7
Jacob 6
Tom 6
Benjamin 5
Christopher 5
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Job 4
Stephen 4
Amos 3
Isaac 3
Willie 3
Wm. 3
Alf. 2
Daniel 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
Joe 2
Joshua 2
Morris 2
Omar 2
Patrick 2
Richd. 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Dunford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,810 people were recorded with the Dunford surname. That placed it at #2,405 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,749 in 2016. That gives Dunford a modern rank of #2,441.

What does the Dunford surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "hill ford," referring to a ford at the foot of a hill.

What does the Dunford map show?

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