NameCensus.

UK surname

Durward

An anglicized form of the French "de l'ouvrard" meaning a doorkeeper or porter.

In the 1881 census there were 326 people recorded with the Durward surname, ranking it #9,167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 268, ranked #16,003, down from #9,167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kincardine O'Neil, Banchory-Ternan and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stonehaven North, Blairgowrie West and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durward is 490 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.8%.

1881 census count

326

Ranked #9,167

Modern count

268

2016, ranked #16,003

Peak year

1901

490 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Durward had 326 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016, ranked #16,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 490 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Durward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Durward 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 226 #9,487
1861 historical 259 #9,561
1881 historical 326 #9,167
1891 historical 395 #8,961
1901 historical 490 #8,171
1911 historical 106 #21,948
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 287 #14,289
1999 modern 292 #14,204
2000 modern 280 #14,601
2001 modern 277 #14,474
2002 modern 272 #14,930
2003 modern 267 #14,950
2004 modern 261 #15,274
2005 modern 255 #15,437
2006 modern 251 #15,696
2007 modern 253 #15,776
2008 modern 256 #15,817
2009 modern 255 #16,183
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 244 #16,922
2012 modern 256 #16,253
2013 modern 256 #16,506
2014 modern 267 #16,161
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 268 #16,003

Geography

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Where Durwards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kincardine O'Neil, Banchory-Ternan, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Coull. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stonehaven North, Blairgowrie West, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin and South Castlehill and Thorn. 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 Kincardine O'Neil Aberdeen
2 Banchory-Ternan Kincardine
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Coull Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stonehaven North Aberdeenshire
2 Blairgowrie West Perth and Kinross
3 Tameside 026 Tameside
4 Telford and Wrekin 017 Telford and Wrekin
5 South Castlehill and Thorn East Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Durward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Durward

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Durward surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Durward household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Durward 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

Durward is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Durward falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Durward

The surname Durward is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French "dur" meaning "stern" or "hardy", and "ward" meaning "guard" or "watchman". It first emerged in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman settlers adopted hereditary surnames for the first time.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Durward is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Durewarde" and "Dureward". This suggests the name was already in use among Norman families who accompanied William the Conqueror to England.

In the 12th century, the Durward family held significant importance in Scotland. Alan Durward (c. 1160-1245) served as Justiciar of Scotia and was one of the powerful Guardians of Scotland during the minority of Alexander III. His son, Thomas Durward (c. 1195-1259), was also a prominent figure and held the position of Lord of Derwentwater.

The name Durward is also associated with place names, such as Derwent in Cumbria, England, which was once recorded as "Derwentwater" and may have influenced the spelling of the surname.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Alan Durward (c. 1300-1363), a Scottish knight who fought alongside King David II at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. He was captured during the battle and later ransomed.

In the 15th century, John Durward (c. 1430-1498) was a Scottish prelate who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1480 until his death. He was an influential figure in the Scottish church during the reigns of James III and James IV.

The Durward surname has also been recorded in various spellings throughout history, such as Durwart, Dureward, and Dorrward, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Durward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Durward 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 134 Durwards recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.50x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 134 45.50x
Kincardineshire 61 157.54x
Angus 45 15.27x
Midlothian 24 5.63x
Perthshire 24 16.82x
Lanarkshire 8 0.78x
Kent 6 0.55x
Lincolnshire 6 1.18x
Middlesex 5 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 6.52x
Northumberland 2 0.42x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.17x
Hampshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 2.64x
Staffordshire 1 0.09x
Surrey 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 2.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.24x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 26 Durwards recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.64x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 26 23.64x
Aberdeen Old Machar 24 39.03x
Leochel Cushnie 17 1278.20x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 16 29.04x
Marykirk 16 1000.00x
Coull 14 1609.20x
Fetteresso 13 214.17x
Kincardine O Neil 12 571.43x
Banchory Ternan 11 328.36x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 6.42x
Brechin 9 77.72x
Echt 9 633.80x
Tibbermore 9 439.02x
Cluny 7 492.96x
Fettercairn 7 424.24x
Montrose 7 39.22x
Trinity Gask 7 1627.91x
Barony 6 2.31x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 53.05x
Lumphanan 6 483.87x
Strathdon 6 419.58x
Tydd St Mary 6 594.06x
Banchory Devenick 5 138.12x
Islington London 5 1.62x
Methlick 5 211.86x
Rattray 5 150.60x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 4 39.68x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 4 135.59x
Kelton 3 79.37x
Kemnay 3 167.60x
Logie Coldstone 3 303.03x
North Leith 3 15.22x
Strachan 3 394.74x
Alyth 2 52.08x
Glenmuick Tullich 2 94.34x
Logie Pert 2 183.49x
Maryculter 2 170.94x
Tweedmouth 2 33.90x
Udny 2 111.73x
Alford 1 62.50x
Auchindoir Kearn 1 60.61x
Benholm 1 60.24x
Bervie 1 43.67x
Blairgowrie 1 17.73x
Bothwell 1 3.59x
Chapel Of Garioch 1 47.62x
Dalmeny 1 54.64x
Dodderhill 1 56.50x
Drumoak 1 99.01x
Duddingston 1 11.70x
Dundee St Clement 1 909.09x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 11.92x
Farnborough 1 14.60x
Garvock 1 212.77x
Glasgow 1 0.55x
Goole 1 18.94x
Huntly 1 20.88x
Insch 1 59.52x
Keig 1 119.05x
Lambeth 1 0.36x
Laurencekirk 1 44.64x
Row 1 9.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 0.88x
Tarland 1 78.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Georgina 2
Christina 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizh. 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Marjory 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 3
John 3
Alexr. 2
William 2
Archibald 1
George 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Peter 1
Wm.C. 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 Durward households.

FAQ

Durward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Durward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 326 people were recorded with the Durward surname. That placed it at #9,167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Durward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016. That gives Durward a modern rank of #16,003.

What does the Durward surname mean?

An anglicized form of the French "de l'ouvrard" meaning a doorkeeper or porter.

What does the Durward map show?

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