NameCensus.

UK surname

Dwyer

From the Irish Ó Duibhir, meaning "descendant of Duibhir," a personal name composed of the elements dubh "black" and fir "man."

In the 1881 census there were 1,656 people recorded with the Dwyer surname, ranking it #2,591 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,808, ranked #1,410, up from #2,591 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Salford and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dwyer is 4,998 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 190.3%.

1881 census count

1,656

Ranked #2,591

Modern count

4,808

2016, ranked #1,410

Peak year

2010

4,998 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dwyer had 1,656 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,591 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,808 in 2016, ranked #1,410.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,219 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dwyer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dwyer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dwyer 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 706 #3,696
1861 historical 850 #3,252
1881 historical 1,656 #2,591
1891 historical 1,796 #2,551
1901 historical 2,219 #2,437
1911 historical 2,174 #2,316
1997 modern 4,516 #1,451
1998 modern 4,671 #1,456
1999 modern 4,725 #1,453
2000 modern 4,719 #1,443
2001 modern 4,607 #1,446
2002 modern 4,770 #1,430
2003 modern 4,677 #1,420
2004 modern 4,675 #1,416
2005 modern 4,566 #1,434
2006 modern 4,584 #1,428
2007 modern 4,657 #1,415
2008 modern 4,739 #1,398
2009 modern 4,915 #1,386
2010 modern 4,998 #1,392
2011 modern 4,907 #1,397
2012 modern 4,757 #1,414
2013 modern 4,830 #1,415
2014 modern 4,885 #1,408
2015 modern 4,865 #1,397
2016 modern 4,808 #1,410

Geography

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Where Dwyers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Manchester and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Salford, South Lakeland, Knowsley and Liverpool. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 007 Halton
2 Salford 028 Salford
3 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland
4 Knowsley 002 Knowsley
5 Liverpool 014 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dwyer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dwyer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dwyer, 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 Dwyer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dwyer 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dwyer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dwyer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dwyer 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 Dwyer 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 Dwyer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dwyer

The surname Dwyer has its origins in Ireland, where it first appeared in the 11th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Duibhir," which means "descendant of the dark or gloomy one." The Gaelic word "dubh" translates to "dark" or "black," indicating that the name may have originally referred to someone with a dark complexion or hair color.

The name Dwyer is found primarily in the counties of Tipperary, Limerick, and Cork, as well as other parts of Munster. It is believed to have originated in the area around Castletown and Cahir in County Tipperary, where the Dwyer clan was once prominent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dwyer dates back to the 13th century in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history written by monks at the Inisfallen Abbey on an island in Killarney's Lower Lake. The annals mention a person named "Dubhir" in the year 1296.

The Dwyer surname is also mentioned in the Pipe Roll of Cloyne, a medieval record of taxation in the Diocese of Cloyne, County Cork, during the 14th century. This document provides evidence of the name's presence in Ireland during that time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Dwyer include:

1. Michael Dwyer (1772-1826), an Irish rebel leader who fought against British rule in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. 2. Philip Dwyer (1572-1628), an Irish Franciscan friar and bishop of Killaloe. 3. John Dwyer (1869-1940), an Irish-American politician who served as Mayor of New York City from 1901 to 1903. 4. James Dwyer (1858-1929), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. 5. William Dwyer (1825-1887), an Irish-American Roman Catholic priest and the first president of the University of Notre Dame.

Throughout its history, the surname Dwyer has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Dwyersgrange in County Tipperary and Dwyershill in County Limerick. Variations in spelling, including Dyer, Dwire, and Duer, can be found in historical records, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dwyer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dwyer 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 502 Dwyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.58x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 502 2.58x
Middlesex 310 1.89x
Yorkshire 184 1.13x
Surrey 122 1.53x
Durham 70 1.44x
Glamorgan 59 2.07x
Hampshire 49 1.46x
Warwickshire 38 0.92x
Cheshire 37 1.02x
Kent 32 0.57x
Lanarkshire 32 0.60x
Gloucestershire 27 0.84x
Essex 22 0.68x
Staffordshire 20 0.36x
Leicestershire 19 1.05x
Channel Islands 17 3.50x
Monmouthshire 17 1.44x
Devon 14 0.41x
Sussex 13 0.47x
Northumberland 10 0.41x
Pembrokeshire 9 1.73x
Worcestershire 9 0.42x
Cornwall 8 0.43x
Dorset 8 0.74x
Royal Navy 7 3.59x
Fife 6 0.62x
Ayrshire 5 0.41x
Somerset 5 0.19x
Derbyshire 3 0.12x
Lincolnshire 3 0.11x
Northamptonshire 3 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.14x
West Lothian 3 1.22x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.30x
Midlothian 2 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.31x
Morayshire 1 0.39x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
Stirlingshire 1 0.17x
Suffolk 1 0.05x
Westmorland 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 107 Dwyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.07x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 107 9.07x
Manchester 70 8.01x
Salford 38 6.65x
St George In East London 34 22.08x
St Marylebone London 31 3.55x
Toxteth Park 31 4.71x
Widnes 30 21.41x
Leeds 29 3.17x
Aston 27 2.38x
Kirkdale 27 8.26x
Kensington London 25 2.75x
Darlington 24 12.76x
St Pancras London 23 1.75x
Lambeth 17 1.19x
Preston 17 3.27x
West Derby 17 2.99x
Whitechapel London 17 10.54x
Merthyr Tydfil 16 5.84x
Battersea 15 2.49x
Portsea 15 2.28x
Rotherhithe 15 7.42x
St Helier 15 9.50x
Bermondsey 14 2.87x
Brightside Bierlow 14 4.40x
Govan 14 1.07x
Islington London 14 0.88x
Little Bolton 14 5.61x
Poplar London 14 4.53x
Roath 14 10.82x
Sunderland 14 16.28x
Fulham London 13 5.48x
West Ham 13 1.82x
Aldershot 12 10.68x
Bedwellty 12 5.74x
Castleton 12 6.19x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 7.13x
Bradford 11 2.80x
Plymouth St Andrew 11 4.19x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 3.34x
Ardwick 10 5.71x
Barony 10 0.75x
Birmingham 10 0.73x
Camberwell 10 0.96x
Hulme 10 2.47x
Padiham 10 21.31x
St Giles In Fields London 10 12.45x
Walton On Hill 10 9.50x
Cardiff St John 9 9.67x
Castleford 9 15.24x
Hove 9 7.43x
Llandaff 9 9.49x
Middlesbrough 9 4.26x
Oldham 9 1.44x
Pembroke St Mary 9 13.43x
St George Hanover Square 9 3.12x
Stockport 9 4.84x
Bristol St Augustine 8 15.44x
Butley 8 258.90x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 2.59x
Deptford St Paul 8 1.86x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 2.42x
Leicester St Mary 8 5.46x
Limehouse London 8 4.45x
Manningham 8 4.00x
Sheffield 8 1.55x
Spitalfields London 8 6.50x
Wingate 8 23.97x
York St Mary 8 11.91x
Bethnal Green London 7 0.98x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 2.32x
Bury 7 3.15x
Kingston On Thames 7 3.65x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 5.55x
Southwark Christchurch 7 9.13x
St Martin In Fields 7 7.14x
Westminster St John 7 3.51x
York Holy Trinity 7 49.96x
Royal Navy 6 3.60x
St Leonards 6 138.25x
Stockton On Tees 6 2.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 194
Ellen 70
Margaret 56
Catherine 47
Ann 34
Bridget 34
Elizabeth 26
Jane 21
Sarah 21
Annie 17
Eliza 16
Kate 16
Julia 15
Hannah 14
Anne 12
Alice 11
Maria 10
Emily 9
Agnes 8
Louisa 8
Winifred 7
Martha 6
Rose 6
Anna 5
Caroline 5
Emma 5
Harriet 5
Norah 5
Susan 5
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Johanna 4
Charlotte 3
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Helen 3
Isabella 3
Margret 3
Marie 3
Theresa 3
Clara 2
Delia 2
Harriett 2
Louise 2
Lucey 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Margt. 2
Marion 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 143
William 85
James 80
Thomas 70
Patrick 45
Edward 38
Michael 37
Joseph 23
Henry 20
Daniel 16
Timothy 14
Jeremiah 12
Richard 12
Andrew 9
George 9
Arthur 8
Charles 8
Dennis 8
Robert 8
Alfred 7
Edmund 7
Martin 7
Francis 6
Frederick 6
Peter 6
Stephen 6
Albert 5
David 5
Denis 5
Cornelius 4
Matthew 4
Owen 4
Anthony 3
Jno. 3
Philip 3
Phillip 3
Thos. 3
Alexander 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Frederic 2
Harry 2
Lawrence 2
Patk. 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Christopher 1
Corneilus 1
Enock 1
Eugene 1

FAQ

Dwyer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dwyer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,656 people were recorded with the Dwyer surname. That placed it at #2,591 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dwyer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,808 in 2016. That gives Dwyer a modern rank of #1,410.

What does the Dwyer surname mean?

From the Irish Ó Duibhir, meaning "descendant of Duibhir," a personal name composed of the elements dubh "black" and fir "man."

What does the Dwyer map show?

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