UK surname
A surname of Scottish origin possibly derived from an old word meaning "little dark one."
In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Dwelly surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 73, ranked #33,502, down from #24,256 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Crayford, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dwelly is 101 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.6%.
1881 census count
66
Ranked #24,256
Modern count
73
2016, ranked #33,502
Peak year
1911
101 bearers
Map years
1
1911 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Dwelly surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Dwelly surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 56 | #23,235 |
| 1861 | historical | 35 | #29,571 |
| 1881 | historical | 66 | #24,256 |
| 1891 | historical | 72 | #27,804 |
| 1901 | historical | 55 | #28,064 |
| 1911 | historical | 101 | #22,589 |
| 1997 | modern | 79 | #29,672 |
| 1998 | modern | 85 | #29,439 |
| 1999 | modern | 78 | #30,327 |
| 2000 | modern | 86 | #29,484 |
| 2001 | modern | 78 | #30,168 |
| 2002 | modern | 77 | #30,709 |
| 2003 | modern | 70 | #31,486 |
| 2004 | modern | 80 | #30,679 |
| 2005 | modern | 76 | #31,267 |
| 2006 | modern | 75 | #31,733 |
| 2007 | modern | 70 | #32,580 |
| 2008 | modern | 72 | #32,656 |
| 2009 | modern | 73 | #32,923 |
| 2010 | modern | 69 | #33,560 |
| 2011 | modern | 67 | #33,704 |
| 2012 | modern | 68 | #33,763 |
| 2013 | modern | 73 | #33,557 |
| 2014 | modern | 77 | #33,336 |
| 2015 | modern | 76 | #33,351 |
| 2016 | modern | 73 | #33,502 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Crayford, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Chard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crayford | Kent |
| 2 | Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff | Gloucestershire |
| 3 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 4 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 5 | Chard | Somerset |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Dwelly surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dwelly, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Dwelly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Dwelly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Dwelly is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dwelly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Dwelly, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Dwelly is believed to have originated in Cornwall, England in the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Cornish place name "Duwelyn", which translates to "black pool" or "dark lake". This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near a dark, murky body of water.
The Dwelly name can be traced back to the 16th century in Cornish parish records. One of the earliest recorded examples is John Dwelly, who was born in the village of St. Mabyn in 1587. The variant spelling "Duwelly" was also used in some records from this time.
In the 17th century, the Dwelly family appeared to have spread from Cornwall to neighboring counties like Devon. A notable figure from this era was William Dwelly, a merchant from Exeter who was born in 1632 and died in 1698.
The 18th century saw the name Dwelly carried across the Atlantic to the American colonies. One of the earliest known Dwellys in the New World was James Dwelly, who was born in Virginia in 1723 and fought in the Revolutionary War.
As the Dwelly family continued to grow and disperse, they left their mark on various place names. For example, Dwelly Lane in St. Austell, Cornwall is believed to have been named after a local Dwelly family who lived in the area.
Other notable individuals with the Dwelly surname include:
1. Edward Dwelly (1835-1917), a Cornish scholar and author who published the first comprehensive dictionary of the Cornish language.
2. Richard Dwelly (1856-1932), a British engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in steam engine design.
3. Margaret Dwelly (1892-1976), a British author and playwright who wrote several works exploring Cornish culture and history.
4. John Dwelly (1908-1992), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
5. Thomas Dwelly (1927-2011), an Australian cricketer who played domestic cricket for South Australia in the 1950s.
While the Dwelly name may have originated from a humble Cornish village, it has since been carried around the world and achieved varying degrees of prominence in different fields over the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dwelly surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 29 Dwellys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.51x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 11 Dwellys recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.43x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Shoreditch London | 11 | 39.43x |
| Chard | 8 | 640.00x |
| Kensington London | 8 | 22.36x |
| Crayford | 7 | 729.17x |
| Stone In Dartford | 6 | 1071.43x |
| Islington London | 4 | 6.41x |
| Malmesbury The Abbey | 4 | 13333.33x |
| St Pancras London | 4 | 7.72x |
| Battersea | 3 | 12.67x |
| Dartford | 2 | 88.89x |
| Portsea | 2 | 7.74x |
| Saltash | 2 | 350.88x |
| Westminster St John | 2 | 25.51x |
| Lambeth | 1 | 1.78x |
| Wandsworth | 1 | 16.13x |
| Wiveliscombe | 1 | 172.41x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dwelly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dwelly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Dwelly households.
FAQ
In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Dwelly surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 73 in 2016. That gives Dwelly a modern rank of #33,502.
A surname of Scottish origin possibly derived from an old word meaning "little dark one."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dwelly bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.