NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunwoody

A locational surname originating from a wooded hill or valley.

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Dunwoody surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, up from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Forest, Liverpool and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunwoody is 253 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 227.9%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

2013

253 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunwoody had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 127 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dunwoody surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunwoody surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunwoody 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 53 #27,253
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 80 #26,785
1901 historical 85 #24,636
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 236 #16,304
1999 modern 238 #16,308
2000 modern 234 #16,470
2001 modern 222 #16,806
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 227 #16,778
2005 modern 225 #16,831
2006 modern 223 #17,036
2007 modern 219 #17,425
2008 modern 221 #17,495
2009 modern 221 #17,848
2010 modern 227 #17,895
2011 modern 230 #17,578
2012 modern 245 #16,745
2013 modern 253 #16,642
2014 modern 240 #17,387
2015 modern 232 #17,689
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Dunwoodys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, West Derby, Liverpool and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Forest, Liverpool, Uttlesford, Partickhill and Hyndland and Manchester. 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 3
2 Lambeth London (South Districts)
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Forest 018 New Forest
2 Liverpool 010 Liverpool
3 Uttlesford 002 Uttlesford
4 Partickhill and Hyndland Glasgow City
5 Manchester 015 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunwoody

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunwoody

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunwoody, 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 Dunwoody surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dunwoody 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dunwoody is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunwoody 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

Dunwoody 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 Dunwoody 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 - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dunwoody, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dunwoody

The surname Dunwoody has its origins in Scotland and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning a fort or hill and "woddi" meaning a wood, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a wooded hill or fortified structure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Dunwodeye" in this record.

In the 16th century, the Dunwoody family held lands in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland. John Dunwoody, born around 1520, is believed to be one of the earliest known individuals with this surname.

The name Dunwoody has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Dunwoodie in the parish of Mauchline, Ayrshire, and Dunwoodie in the parish of Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Dunwoody include:

1. Sir Henry Liston Dunwoody (1843-1926), a British civil engineer and contractor who played a significant role in the construction of the Royal Albert Hall in London.

2. Basil Dunwoody (1892-1988), a British politician and trade union leader who served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen from 1947 to 1962.

3. Gwyneth Dunwoody (1930-2008), a British politician and member of the Labour Party who served as a Member of Parliament for over 40 years.

4. Robert Dunwoody (1803-1868), a Scottish-American merchant and entrepreneur who founded the town of Dunwoody, Georgia, in the United States.

5. William Dunwoody (1832-1896), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

While the surname Dunwoody has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, where it is particularly prevalent in the United States and Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunwoody families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunwoody 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 27 Dunwoodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.43x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 27 3.43x
Surrey 17 5.26x
Middlesex 6 0.90x
Worcestershire 5 5.77x
Durham 3 1.52x
Northumberland 3 3.04x
Lanarkshire 2 0.93x
Sussex 2 1.79x
Cheshire 1 0.68x
Kent 1 0.44x
Renfrewshire 1 1.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 11 Dunwoodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.02x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 11 19.02x
Everton 9 35.89x
Kirkdale 8 60.42x
Camberwell 6 14.16x
Liverpool 5 10.46x
Oldbury 5 117.37x
St Pancras London 4 7.49x
Hexham 3 196.08x
West Derby 3 13.03x
Wolsingham 3 166.67x
East Preston 2 2000.00x
Toxteth Park 2 7.50x
Barony 1 1.84x
Glasgow 1 2.63x
Leftwich 1 153.85x
Minster In Sheppey 1 26.67x
Port Glasgow 1 40.32x
St George Bloomsbury 1 26.32x
St Marylebone London 1 2.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 3
Dorothy 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Agness 1
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Margaret 1
Rosina 1
Susana 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 4
James 3
Thomas 3
Ambrose 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edgar 1
George 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Mathew 1
Matthen 1
Matthew 1
Richard 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

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 Dunwoody households.

FAQ

Dunwoody surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunwoody surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Dunwoody surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunwoody surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Dunwoody a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Dunwoody surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a wooded hill or valley.

What does the Dunwoody map show?

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