NameCensus.

UK surname

Duthie

Scottish habitational surname from a place called Duthie near Banff.

In the 1881 census there were 1,621 people recorded with the Duthie surname, ranking it #2,634 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,296, ranked #2,825, down from #2,634 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rathen, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Fraserburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Fraserburgh Smiddyhill and Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Duthie is 2,306 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.6%.

1881 census count

1,621

Ranked #2,634

Modern count

2,296

2016, ranked #2,825

Peak year

2015

2,306 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Duthie had 1,621 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,634 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,296 in 2016, ranked #2,825.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,947 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Duthie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Duthie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Duthie 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 1,043 #2,689
1861 historical 1,123 #2,497
1881 historical 1,621 #2,634
1891 historical 1,757 #2,594
1901 historical 1,947 #2,714
1911 historical 239 #13,321
1997 modern 2,067 #2,974
1998 modern 2,160 #2,960
1999 modern 2,174 #2,968
2000 modern 2,163 #2,965
2001 modern 2,099 #2,983
2002 modern 2,172 #2,954
2003 modern 2,082 #3,009
2004 modern 2,103 #2,976
2005 modern 2,117 #2,927
2006 modern 2,158 #2,880
2007 modern 2,179 #2,879
2008 modern 2,199 #2,885
2009 modern 2,288 #2,849
2010 modern 2,276 #2,923
2011 modern 2,238 #2,934
2012 modern 2,215 #2,902
2013 modern 2,253 #2,903
2014 modern 2,299 #2,870
2015 modern 2,306 #2,832
2016 modern 2,296 #2,825

Geography

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Where Duthies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rathen, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Fraserburgh, Pitsligo and Aberdeen and Old Machar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea, Fraserburgh Central-Academy and Peterhead Ugieside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rathen Aberdeen
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Fraserburgh Aberdeen
4 Pitsligo Aberdeen
5 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
2 Fraserburgh Smiddyhill Aberdeenshire
3 Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea Aberdeenshire
4 Fraserburgh Central-Academy Aberdeenshire
5 Peterhead Ugieside Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Duthie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Duthie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Duthie, 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 Duthie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Duthie 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Duthie is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Duthie is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Duthie falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Duthie

The surname Duthie is of Scottish origin and is believed to have originated in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "dubh" meaning "black" and "ath" meaning "ford," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a dark or peaty stream or ford.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Duthie can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1326, which lists a "John Duthie" as a landowner in the Banffshire area. The name also appears in various charter records and legal documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, often spelled as "Duthy" or "Duthye."

In the 16th century, the Duthies were a prominent family in the Aberdeenshire region, with several members holding positions of influence in the local community. One notable figure was Alexander Duthie (1540-1610), who served as the Provost of Aberdeen from 1599 to 1601.

During the 17th century, the Duthies continued to play a significant role in the history of Aberdeenshire. William Duthie (1620-1685) was a wealthy merchant and landowner, while his son, James Duthie (1670-1745), was a respected minister and author of several theological works.

As the Duthie family spread throughout Scotland and beyond, the name took on various spellings, including Duthy, Duthey, and Duthey. In the 18th century, the name gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of James Duthie (1750-1820), a Scottish poet and playwright.

Another notable figure was Sir James Duthie (1848-1922), a Scottish shipbuilder and philanthropist who founded the Duthie Park in Aberdeen, which remains a popular public park to this day.

Other individuals of note bearing the surname Duthie include:

1. Sir William Duthie (1859-1929), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who established the Duthie Trust in Aberdeen. 2. Alexander Duthie (1856-1934), a Scottish architect known for his work on various buildings in Aberdeen. 3. Robert Duthie (1828-1904), a Scottish shipbuilder and businessman who founded the Duthie Shipbuilding Company in Aberdeen. 4. John Duthie (1879-1961), a Scottish botanist and plant collector who made significant contributions to the study of flora in Australia and New Zealand. 5. Alexander Duthie (1920-2004), a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings and his work as a war artist during World War II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Duthie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Duthie 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 825 Duthies recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.83x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 825 56.83x
Angus 287 19.76x
Kincardineshire 155 81.19x
Midlothian 77 3.67x
Lanarkshire 44 0.87x
Lancashire 23 0.12x
Perthshire 17 2.42x
Middlesex 15 0.10x
Durham 14 0.30x
Banffshire 13 4.00x
Renfrewshire 13 1.07x
Peeblesshire 12 16.28x
Orkney 11 6.38x
Stirlingshire 11 1.90x
Surrey 8 0.10x
Kent 7 0.13x
Shetland 7 4.37x
Yorkshire 7 0.05x
Royal Navy 6 3.21x
Cheshire 5 0.14x
Clackmannanshire 5 3.86x
Ayrshire 4 0.34x
Fife 4 0.43x
Norfolk 4 0.17x
West Lothian 4 1.69x
Essex 3 0.10x
Kinross-shire 3 7.57x
Selkirkshire 3 2.12x
Wiltshire 3 0.22x
Argyllshire 2 0.46x
Caithness 2 0.93x
Northumberland 2 0.09x
Staffordshire 2 0.04x
Buteshire 1 1.05x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.10x
Devon 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.09x
Inverness-shire 1 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.44x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.28x
Morayshire 1 0.41x
Sussex 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rathen in Aberdeenshire leads with 236 Duthies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1551.61x.

Place Total Index
Rathen 236 1551.61x
Aberdeen Old Machar 138 45.53x
Fraserburgh 96 234.89x
Pitsligo 89 641.21x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 65 23.93x
Peterhead 65 84.67x
Montrose 52 59.08x
Forfar 34 43.24x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 29 3.43x
Dundee 26 4.80x
Kirriemuir 23 64.19x
Barry 22 126.22x
Fordoun 22 205.80x
St Cyrus 22 275.69x
St Vigeans 22 28.06x
Brechin 21 36.80x
Cruden 20 106.95x
Glasgow 18 2.00x
Fetteresso 17 56.82x
Barony 16 1.25x
Dunnottar 15 111.69x
Arbroath 14 29.09x
Craig 14 99.79x
South Leith 14 5.92x
Arbuthnott 12 275.86x
Glenbervie 12 229.45x
Marykirk 12 152.48x
Peebles 12 55.07x
Lochee 11 84.94x
Monquhitter 11 73.19x
Govan 10 0.80x
North Leith 10 10.29x
Blair Athole 9 96.05x
Echt 9 128.76x
Lasswade 9 18.75x
Liff Benvie 9 4.08x
Lumphanan 9 147.54x
West Derby 9 1.65x
Banchory Devenick 8 44.87x
Cockpen 8 32.60x
Coull 8 187.35x
Laurencekirk 8 72.33x
West Greenock 8 3.67x
Benholm 7 85.37x
Edinburgh St Stephens 7 16.93x
Stirling 7 9.60x
Birsay Harray 6 47.92x
Cluny 6 85.96x
Fettercairn 6 73.89x
Kirkden 6 66.08x
Nigg 6 38.00x
Peterculter 6 58.59x
Rathven 6 9.82x
Rescobie 6 162.60x
St George Hanover Square 6 2.17x
Stranton 6 3.82x
Tough 6 163.49x
Turriff 6 25.61x
Birkenhead 5 1.81x
Cathcart 5 7.61x
Chelsea London 5 1.06x
Dollar 5 37.26x
Drumoak 5 100.00x
Everton 5 0.84x
Kintore 5 39.62x
Lambeth 5 0.37x
Newhills 5 16.82x
Tannadice 5 73.96x
Trinity Gask 5 235.85x
Whitworth 5 14.65x
Holm 4 69.20x
Inverkeillor 4 44.44x
Keith 4 11.54x
Kirkliston 4 29.05x
Logie Pert 4 74.63x
Menmuir 4 98.52x
Oyne 4 77.52x
Ringwould 4 87.34x
Tarves 4 29.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Anne 2
Helen 2
Jessie 2
Margaret 2
Rosa 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Barabella 1
Beatrice 1
Cath. 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Ellen 1
Elspah 1
Hardinia 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jannet 1
Jenny 1
Kesia 1
Maria 1
May 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 11
John 9
William 8
Alexander 4
Charles 4
George 3
David 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
...ander 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herculus 1
Oglvie 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Duthie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Duthie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,621 people were recorded with the Duthie surname. That placed it at #2,634 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Duthie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,296 in 2016. That gives Duthie a modern rank of #2,825.

What does the Duthie surname mean?

Scottish habitational surname from a place called Duthie near Banff.

What does the Duthie map show?

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