NameCensus.

UK surname

Duty

An occupational surname for a civil servant, public official, or one who performs obligatory services.

In the 1881 census there were 57 people recorded with the Duty surname, ranking it #25,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #25,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Rotherham and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Duty is 121 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.8%.

1881 census count

57

Ranked #25,575

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

2008

121 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Duty had 57 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 79 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Duty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Duty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Duty 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 57 #25,575
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 105 #27,123
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 121 #27,005
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Dutys 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 Liverpool, Rotherham, Doncaster and Oldham. 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 Liverpool 029 Liverpool
2 Rotherham 009 Rotherham
3 Doncaster 022 Doncaster
4 Rotherham 025 Rotherham
5 Oldham 013 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Duty

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Duty

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Duty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Duty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Duty is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Duty is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Duty falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Duty 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Duty

The surname DUTY originated in England and has its roots in the Middle English word "duetee," which meant "due service or obligation." This word derived from the Old French "deu" and the Latin "debitum," meaning "owed" or "due." The name likely referred to someone who was responsible for collecting or paying dues or taxes.

The earliest known record of the surname DUTY dates back to the 13th century in the county of Oxfordshire, England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a mention of a person named John le Duti, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the name.

During the medieval period, the surname DUTY was primarily found in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire. It was also associated with several place names, such as Doughty Street in London and Doughty's Hospital, a charitable institution founded in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DUTY is John Doughty, who was born around 1480 in Oxfordshire. He was a renowned English diplomat and scholar, serving as the ambassador to the Netherlands during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another notable figure with the surname DUTY was Thomas Doughty, born in 1545 in Gloucestershire. He was a navigator and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his famous voyage around the world in 1577-1580. Doughty was later executed by Drake for alleged mutiny.

In the 17th century, John Doughty (1598-1672) was a prominent English clergyman and writer. He served as the rector of Cheselborne in Dorset and published several works on theology and philosophy.

William Doughty (1635-1689) was an English merchant and colonist who settled in New York in the 1660s. He played a significant role in the development of Long Island and was granted a large tract of land by the colonial government.

Another notable figure with the surname DUTY was Michael Doughty (1844-1925), an English businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Doughty Street Chambers in London, which became a renowned center for legal practice and education.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname DUTY who have made notable contributions throughout history. The name's origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages in England, and it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Duty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Duty 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. Lancashire leads with 24 Dutys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.64x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 24 3.64x
Yorkshire 16 2.90x
Middlesex 6 1.08x
Westmorland 5 40.92x
Sussex 3 3.20x
Surrey 1 0.37x
Warwickshire 1 0.71x
Worcestershire 1 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bolton in Lancashire leads with 13 Dutys recorded in 1881 and an index of 153.30x.

Place Total Index
Little Bolton 13 153.30x
Holy Trinity 7 52.83x
Bromley London 6 49.06x
Kendal 5 223.21x
Great Bolton 4 45.77x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 26.76x
Halliwell 3 125.00x
Hove 3 72.99x
Keighley 3 51.11x
Sutton In Keighley 3 967.74x
Birmingham 1 2.14x
Farnworth 1 25.32x
Great Malvern 1 66.23x
Lambeth 1 2.06x
Manchester 1 3.37x
Padiham 1 62.89x
Yealand Conyers 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Harriet 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Betsy 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
John 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
James 2
Argo 1
Ernest 1
Horatio 1
Peter 1
William 1

FAQ

Duty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Duty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 57 people were recorded with the Duty surname. That placed it at #25,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Duty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Duty a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Duty surname mean?

An occupational surname for a civil servant, public official, or one who performs obligatory services.

What does the Duty map show?

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