NameCensus.

UK surname

Durrance

A surname derived from the French term "durance", meaning "lasting" or "enduring".

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Durrance surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, up 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 Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Melton and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durrance is 252 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 212.3%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

1999

252 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Durrance had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 179 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Durrance surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durrance surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Durrance 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 82 #23,321
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 179 #16,023
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 249 #15,720
1999 modern 252 #15,707
2000 modern 249 #15,787
2001 modern 243 #15,791
2002 modern 252 #15,714
2003 modern 242 #15,960
2004 modern 237 #16,283
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 231 #16,636
2007 modern 231 #16,835
2008 modern 230 #17,033
2009 modern 235 #17,151
2010 modern 236 #17,427
2011 modern 230 #17,578
2012 modern 224 #17,786
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 234 #17,662
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Durrances are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Bradford and Melton Mowbray. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Melton and Telford and Wrekin. 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 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Melton Mowbray Leicestershire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Melton 004 Melton
2 Melton 005 Melton
3 Telford and Wrekin 018 Telford and Wrekin
4 Melton 002 Melton
5 Melton 003 Melton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Durrance

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Durrance

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Durrance surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Durrance 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Durrance 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

Durrance is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Durrance falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Durrance 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Durrance

The surname Durrance has its origins in the English language and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "durance," which means "endurance" or "imprisonment." This suggests that the name could have been given to someone who had endured hardship or captivity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Durrance can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. However, the spelling used in the Domesday Book was "Durance."

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to appear in various records and documents, often with slight variations in spelling, such as "Duraunce" and "Durraunce." This was a common occurrence due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices at the time.

The name Durrance has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir Walter Durrance, a prominent English soldier and colonial administrator who served in British India during the late 19th century. He was born in 1839 and died in 1908.

Another individual with the surname Durrance was William Durrance, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 17th century. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1684.

In the literary world, the name Durrance is linked to Alan Durrance, an English author and novelist who wrote several acclaimed works during the 20th century. He was born in 1903 and passed away in 1983.

The surname Durrance has also been associated with place names in various parts of England. For example, there is a village called Durrance in Somerset, which may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa.

Other notable individuals with the surname Durrance include John Durrance, an English politician and Member of Parliament in the 18th century, and Thomas Durrance, an English clergyman and author who lived in the 17th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Durrance families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Durrance 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. Leicestershire leads with 31 Durrances recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.27x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 31 39.27x
Yorkshire 17 2.41x
Middlesex 9 1.26x
Lincolnshire 7 6.15x
Kent 5 2.06x
Lancashire 3 0.36x
Essex 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 15 Durrances recorded in 1881 and an index of 87.82x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 15 87.82x
Billesdon 10 5000.00x
Melton Mowbray 9 633.80x
Poplar London 9 66.96x
Hougham 5 347.22x
Leicester St Margaret 5 25.97x
Clee With Weelsby 4 160.64x
Barkestone 3 4285.71x
Blatchinworth 3 156.25x
Leicester St Mary 3 47.02x
Bentingby 1 10000.00x
Forcett With Carkin 1 714.29x
Great Grimsby 1 13.85x
Marston 1 1428.57x
Rawdon 1 120.48x
Scott Willoughby 1 10000.00x
Waltham Holy Cross 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 7
William 6
Charles 4
George 4
Edward 3
John 3
Joshua 2
Bryan 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Robet 1
Robt. 1
Rupert 1
Syidney 1
Wiliam 1
Willey 1

FAQ

Durrance surname: questions and answers

How common was the Durrance surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Durrance surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Durrance surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Durrance a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Durrance surname mean?

A surname derived from the French term "durance", meaning "lasting" or "enduring".

What does the Durrance map show?

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