NameCensus.

UK surname

Durrani

A surname indicating ancestry from the Durrani Pashtun tribal confederacy.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough, Oadby and Wigston and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durrani is 510 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

497

2016, ranked #10,024

Peak year

2014

510 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 497 in 2016, ranked #10,024.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Durrani surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durrani surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Durrani 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
1891 historical 10 #33,355
1997 modern 192 #18,103
1998 modern 218 #17,159
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 231 #16,610
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 277 #14,764
2003 modern 304 #13,685
2004 modern 313 #13,502
2005 modern 328 #12,992
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 442 #10,573
2009 modern 476 #10,227
2010 modern 507 #9,947
2011 modern 491 #10,094
2012 modern 494 #9,959
2013 modern 508 #9,902
2014 modern 510 #9,945
2015 modern 508 #9,891
2016 modern 497 #10,024

Geography

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Where Durranis are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Middlesbrough, Oadby and Wigston, Hillingdon and Slough. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Middlesbrough 005 Middlesbrough
2 Oadby and Wigston 009 Oadby and Wigston
3 Hillingdon 026 Hillingdon
4 Slough 007 Slough
5 Slough 009 Slough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Durrani

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Durrani

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students

Nationally, the Durrani surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Durrani household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples with dependent children are common in this Group, with many parents born in Africa or the EU. The representation of residents amongst different ethnic minority groups is high, particularly for individuals of Pakistani ethnic group. For many residents, English is not their main language, and affiliation to Christian religions is less common. Privately rented terrace properties predominate and levels of overcrowding are high. Part time work is common, with many employed in elementary occupations and sales and customer services. There are also many students living within these areas, and overall unemployment levels are high.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Durrani is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Durrani 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

Durrani falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Durrani is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Durrani

The surname Durrani originates from the Pashtun ethnic group in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is believed to have derived from the Persian word "durr," meaning pearl or gem, and the Arabic word "durri," meaning silken. The name was first used by the Durrani dynasty, which ruled the Afghan Empire from 1747 to 1826.

The Durrani dynasty was founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who unified the Pashtun tribes and established the modern Afghan state. He was born in 1722 in Multan, which is now part of Pakistan, and died in 1772 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. His descendants continued to rule the Afghan Empire until it was conquered by the British in the early 19th century.

The name Durrani is mentioned in several historical manuscripts and records from the 18th and 19th centuries, including the works of the Afghan historian Khair-ul-Bayan and the British traveler Mountstuart Elphinstone. It is also found in the Afghan genealogical records known as the "Tawārīkh-e Khānawādagī."

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Durrani is Shah Wali Khan Durrani, who was a prominent Afghan military leader and governor during the reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani. He was born in 1737 and died in 1800.

Another notable figure with the Durrani surname is Dost Mohammad Khan Durrani, who was the founder of the Barakzai dynasty and served as the Emir of Afghanistan from 1826 to 1839 and again from 1842 to 1863. He was born in 1793 in Kandahar and died in 1863 in Herat, Afghanistan.

Ayub Khan Durrani was a prominent Afghan military leader and statesman who served as the Emir of Afghanistan from 1879 to 1880. He was born in 1857 in Herat and died in 1914 in Iran.

Nadir Khan Durrani was an Afghan military commander and governor who played a significant role in the Afghan-Sikh Wars in the early 19th century. He was born in 1792 in Kandahar and died in 1840 in Balkh, Afghanistan.

Wazir Akbar Khan Durrani was an Afghan military leader and statesman who served as the Wazir (prime minister) of Afghanistan from 1842 to 1845. He was born in 1816 in Kandahar and died in 1845 in Ghazni, Afghanistan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Durrani surname: questions and answers

How common is the Durrani surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 497 in 2016. That gives Durrani a modern rank of #10,024.

What does the Durrani surname mean?

A surname indicating ancestry from the Durrani Pashtun tribal confederacy.

What does the Durrani map show?

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