NameCensus.

UK surname

Durban

A locative surname originating from Durban, a major city in South Africa.

In the 1881 census there were 212 people recorded with the Durban surname, ranking it #12,373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 286, ranked #15,240, down from #12,373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Clevedon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shepway, Surrey Heath and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durban is 309 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.9%.

1881 census count

212

Ranked #12,373

Modern count

286

2016, ranked #15,240

Peak year

2000

309 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Durban had 212 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 286 in 2016, ranked #15,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 287 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Durban surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durban surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Durban 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 138 #13,745
1861 historical 122 #18,036
1881 historical 212 #12,373
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 260 #12,817
1911 historical 287 #11,784
1997 modern 304 #13,409
1998 modern 306 #13,720
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 309 #13,651
2001 modern 295 #13,867
2002 modern 307 #13,805
2003 modern 302 #13,752
2004 modern 300 #13,871
2005 modern 277 #14,542
2006 modern 277 #14,667
2007 modern 268 #15,172
2008 modern 269 #15,260
2009 modern 281 #15,098
2010 modern 281 #15,441
2011 modern 274 #15,571
2012 modern 276 #15,427
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 285 #15,416
2015 modern 290 #15,117
2016 modern 286 #15,240

Geography

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Where Durbans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Clevedon, Hanwell and Hawkinge, Folkestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shepway, Surrey Heath and Southend-on-Sea. 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 Clevedon Somerset
4 Hanwell Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shepway 014 Shepway
2 Shepway 010 Shepway
3 Surrey Heath 006 Surrey Heath
4 Southend-on-Sea 010 Southend-on-Sea
5 Shepway 006 Shepway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Durban

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Durban

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Durban surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Durban household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Durban is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Durban 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

Durban falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Durban

The surname Durban is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dere" meaning wild animal or deer, and "burna" meaning a stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a stream frequented by deer.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Durban name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, there is a reference to a place called "Derburne" in Warwickshire, which could be an early spelling variation of the surname.

During the 13th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Durban residing in various parts of England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was John Durban, a landowner and minor nobleman who lived in the village of Durban, near Bristol, in the late 1200s.

By the 16th century, the Durban name had spread to other regions of England, and variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Derban, Derborn, and Dearborn. In 1585, a man named Thomas Durban was recorded as serving as a member of the Honourable Artillery Company in London.

In the 17th century, the Durban surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Durban (1605-1678), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1666. He was also a member of the East India Company and played a significant role in the expansion of English trade in the East Indies.

Another notable figure with the Durban surname was William Durban (1718-1794), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Clement Danes in London. He published several works on theology and religious subjects during his lifetime.

During the 19th century, the Durban name was carried to various parts of the British Empire by settlers and immigrants. For example, in 1835, a town in South Africa was established and named Durban, likely after Sir Benjamin Durban, who served as the Governor of the Cape Colony from 1824 to 1826.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Durban families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Durban 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. Middlesex leads with 47 Durbans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 47 2.32x
Kent 45 6.50x
Somerset 31 9.49x
Surrey 31 3.14x
Monmouthshire 17 11.59x
Brecknockshire 8 19.72x
Gloucestershire 8 2.01x
Cheshire 6 1.34x
Warwickshire 5 0.98x
Staffordshire 2 0.29x
Berkshire 1 0.66x
Devon 1 0.24x
Durham 1 0.17x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.37x
Norfolk 1 0.32x
Wiltshire 1 0.56x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hanwell in Middlesex leads with 12 Durbans recorded in 1881 and an index of 333.33x.

Place Total Index
Hanwell 12 333.33x
Lambeth 12 6.78x
Deal 10 169.49x
Croydon 9 16.40x
Folkestone 9 67.01x
Long Ashton 9 555.56x
Aylesford 8 416.67x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 21.36x
Clevedon 8 235.29x
Llanelly 8 164.95x
Blagdon 7 1014.49x
Hackney London 7 6.15x
Twickenham 7 80.46x
Chester St Mary On Hill 6 156.25x
Ealing 6 33.09x
Risca 6 217.39x
Upper Machen 6 594.06x
Ash Next Sandwich 5 326.80x
Aston 5 3.55x
Lower Machen 5 694.44x
Battersea 4 5.36x
Bedminster 4 13.03x
Sandwich St Mary 4 634.92x
New Brentford 3 280.37x
Worth 3 967.74x
Caterham 2 45.77x
Cheddar 2 121.95x
Eastry 2 208.33x
Greenwich 2 6.19x
Poplar London 2 5.22x
St Anne Soho London 2 17.26x
Whitechapel London 2 10.00x
Woking 2 33.56x
Wolstanton 2 9.62x
Bath St James 1 29.33x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.93x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.54x
Canterbury Holy Cross 1 149.25x
Chelsea London 1 1.64x
Chippenham 1 26.60x
Clewer 1 16.03x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 18.94x
Enfield 1 7.51x
Godalming 1 16.08x
Hothfield 1 454.55x
Kensington London 1 0.89x
Littleham 1 32.36x
Paddington London 1 1.34x
Reigate Foreign 1 9.35x
St George Bloomsbury 1 8.59x
Tottenham 1 3.10x
Whissonsett 1 238.10x
York St Maurice 1 26.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
Henry 11
George 9
John 9
Charles 8
Thomas 7
Edward 6
Samuel 6
Frederick 5
Arthur 3
Albert 2
Frank 2
James 2
Wm. 2
Albion 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Chas. 1
Elias 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Hubert 1
Jno.Joshua 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Durban surname: questions and answers

How common was the Durban surname in 1881?

In 1881, 212 people were recorded with the Durban surname. That placed it at #12,373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Durban surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 286 in 2016. That gives Durban a modern rank of #15,240.

What does the Durban surname mean?

A locative surname originating from Durban, a major city in South Africa.

What does the Durban map show?

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