NameCensus.

UK surname

Dwane

An anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Dubháin meaning "descendant of Dubhán."

In the 1881 census there were 2 people recorded with the Dwane surname, ranking it #33,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, up from #33,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough, Harrow and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dwane is 170 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7850.0%.

1881 census count

2

Ranked #33,721

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

1997

170 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dwane had 2 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 64 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dwane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dwane surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dwane 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 4 #32,658
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 2 #33,721
1891 historical 36 #31,465
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 147 #21,977
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 148 #22,111
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 149 #22,530
2009 modern 152 #22,716
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 157 #22,904
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Dwanes 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 Wellingborough, Harrow, West Lindsey, Runnymede and Salford. 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 Wellingborough 002 Wellingborough
2 Harrow 021 Harrow
3 West Lindsey 009 West Lindsey
4 Runnymede 003 Runnymede
5 Salford 014 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dwane

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dwane 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 Dwane

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dwane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dwane household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Dwane is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

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

Dwane 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

Dwane 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 Dwane 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Dwane

The surname Dwane has its origins in Ireland, where it dates back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Dubháin, which means "descendant of Dubhán." Dubhán is a diminutive of the word "dubh," meaning "dark" or "black."

The name is believed to have originated in County Mayo, where the Ó Dubháin clan was based. Early records indicate that the family held lands in the area around Balla and Cloghans. The name is also found in various historical documents and manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Annals of the Four Masters and the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dwane appears in the 1659 Census of Ireland, where it is listed as "O'Dwan." Over time, the anglicized spelling evolved to its current form, Dwane.

Notable historical figures with the surname Dwane include:

1. Donal Ó Dubháin (c. 1600-1636), an Irish soldier and writer who served in the Spanish Army of Flanders. 2. Tadhg Ó Dubháin (fl. 1715), an Irish poet and scribe from County Mayo. 3. Patrick Dwane (1787-1868), an Irish-born prelate who served as the fourth Bishop of Galveston, Texas. 4. John Dwane (1810-1884), an Irish-born prelate who served as the first Bishop of Liverpool, England. 5. Edward Dwane (1837-1917), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Maitland, Australia.

The surname Dwane is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Ballindwane and Cloonawandwane, both located in County Mayo. These place names likely derive from the Ó Dubháin clan's historical presence in the region.

While the surname Dwane is relatively uncommon today, it remains a part of Ireland's rich cultural heritage, reflecting the country's long and complex history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dwane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dwane 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. Hertfordshire leads with 1 Dwanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.19x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 1 75.19x
Midlothian 1 38.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Wymondley in Hertfordshire leads with 1 Dwanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.00x.

Place Total Index
Great Wymondley 1 0.00x
South Leith 1 344.83x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 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 Dwane households.

Occupation Count
Caretaker (Off Keeper) 1

FAQ

Dwane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dwane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2 people were recorded with the Dwane surname. That placed it at #33,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dwane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Dwane a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Dwane surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Dubháin meaning "descendant of Dubhán."

What does the Dwane map show?

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