NameCensus.

UK surname

Dyke

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a dike or ditch.

In the 1881 census there were 2,954 people recorded with the Dyke surname, ranking it #1,513 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,675, ranked #1,854, down from #1,513 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, North Norfolk and Purbeck.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dyke is 4,315 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.4%.

1881 census count

2,954

Ranked #1,513

Modern count

3,675

2016, ranked #1,854

Peak year

1911

4,315 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dyke had 2,954 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,513 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,675 in 2016, ranked #1,854.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,315 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dyke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dyke surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dyke 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 1,916 #1,508
1861 historical 1,914 #1,519
1881 historical 2,954 #1,513
1891 historical 3,205 #1,481
1901 historical 4,026 #1,400
1911 historical 4,315 #1,202
1997 modern 3,967 #1,635
1998 modern 4,133 #1,633
1999 modern 4,175 #1,630
2000 modern 4,129 #1,643
2001 modern 4,042 #1,639
2002 modern 4,104 #1,654
2003 modern 3,968 #1,673
2004 modern 3,977 #1,662
2005 modern 3,930 #1,654
2006 modern 3,862 #1,689
2007 modern 3,865 #1,705
2008 modern 3,900 #1,705
2009 modern 3,923 #1,731
2010 modern 3,991 #1,740
2011 modern 3,926 #1,744
2012 modern 3,769 #1,789
2013 modern 3,813 #1,803
2014 modern 3,764 #1,836
2015 modern 3,723 #1,832
2016 modern 3,675 #1,854

Geography

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Where Dykes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, North Norfolk, Purbeck and Taunton Deane. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 007 Shropshire
2 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
3 Shropshire 006 Shropshire
4 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
5 Taunton Deane 009 Taunton Deane

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dyke

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dyke

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dyke 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

Dyke is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dyke falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dyke

The surname Dyke has its origins in the Middle English word "dik", which means a ditch or a trench. It is likely that the name was initially given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a dike or ditch.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in England, specifically in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. It is believed that the earliest recorded instances of the name were found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk and Suffolk, dating back to 1273.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of land ownership in England, there are several entries that mention the word "dike" in reference to various locations, indicating the presence of ditches or trenches in those areas.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Dyke was John Dyke, who was born in Norfolk around 1260. He is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 as a landowner in the village of Reepham.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Dyke, who lived in the 15th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk in 1455 and 1472. He was also the High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1464.

In the 16th century, there was a family of Dykes who were prominent landowners in Hertfordshire. One of their members, Sir Percyvall Dyke, was born in 1533 and served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in 1586.

The surname Dyke was also found in Scotland, where it was likely derived from the same Middle English word. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Sir William Dyke, who was born in Perthshire in 1625 and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1685.

In the United States, the surname Dyke can be traced back to the 17th century, with early records showing immigrants from England and Scotland settling in various colonies, such as Massachusetts and Virginia.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Dyke throughout history, highlighting its origins and prominence in various regions over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dyke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dyke 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. Staffordshire leads with 327 Dykes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.34x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 327 3.34x
Middlesex 296 1.02x
Somerset 282 6.04x
Wiltshire 223 8.70x
Lancashire 190 0.55x
Warwickshire 168 2.30x
Kent 154 1.56x
Shropshire 151 6.03x
Hampshire 142 2.39x
Surrey 137 0.97x
Dorset 121 6.36x
Worcestershire 89 2.35x
Gloucestershire 86 1.51x
Radnorshire 67 28.64x
Glamorgan 61 1.21x
Cheshire 59 0.92x
Norfolk 56 1.26x
Essex 45 0.79x
Monmouthshire 37 1.77x
Durham 31 0.36x
Derbyshire 30 0.66x
Herefordshire 28 2.36x
Sussex 24 0.49x
Devon 21 0.35x
Oxfordshire 17 0.95x
Berkshire 16 0.74x
Channel Islands 16 1.86x
Yorkshire 16 0.06x
Suffolk 15 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 10 0.82x
Northamptonshire 10 0.37x
Cornwall 8 0.24x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.22x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.29x
Denbighshire 5 0.46x
Hertfordshire 4 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.11x
Flintshire 2 0.26x
Lanarkshire 2 0.02x
Leicestershire 2 0.06x
Midlothian 2 0.05x
Northumberland 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.05x
Brecknockshire 1 0.17x
Isle of Man 1 0.19x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Perthshire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bilston in Staffordshire leads with 47 Dykes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.78x.

Place Total Index
Bilston 47 24.78x
Birmingham 44 1.81x
Aston 39 1.94x
Walsall Foreign 34 6.73x
Milborne Port 33 176.66x
St George Hanover Square 33 6.46x
St Marylebone London 33 2.13x
Lambeth 32 1.27x
Sedgley 30 8.25x
Portsea 29 2.49x
St Pancras London 29 1.24x
Camberwell 25 1.35x
Poole St James 24 33.57x
Coventry St Michael 23 9.79x
Wincanton 22 91.59x
Wolverhampton 22 2.92x
Dudley 21 4.56x
Wigan 21 4.37x
Gnosall 20 84.67x
Hackney London 20 1.23x
Everton 19 1.73x
Merthyr Tydfil 19 3.92x
Alverstoke 18 8.37x
Devizes St James 18 52.83x
Hammersmith London 18 2.52x
Netheravon 18 311.42x
Paddington London 18 1.69x
Islington London 17 0.61x
Llanyre 17 244.60x
North Cadbury 17 190.37x
West Bromwich 17 3.03x
Battersea 16 1.50x
Bradford On Avon 16 19.49x
Monks Coppenhall 16 6.63x
Tipton 16 5.34x
Aberystruth 15 8.12x
Kensington London 15 0.93x
Millbrook 15 10.02x
Northfleet 15 17.21x
Oswestry Rural 15 39.08x
Penkridge 15 59.43x
Roath 15 6.54x
Bedminster 14 3.19x
Kirkdale 14 2.42x
Newington 14 1.31x
Cannock 13 7.61x
Devizes St Mary 13 50.17x
Holdenhurst 13 8.34x
Stapleton 13 12.05x
Streatham 13 6.04x
West Derby 13 1.29x
Charlton Musgrove 12 295.57x
Chelmsford 12 12.22x
Heddington 12 338.98x
Lydney 12 40.89x
Shepton Mallet 12 22.92x
Sherborne 12 21.41x
Shifnal 12 17.65x
Solihull 12 22.83x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 2.05x
Charlbury 11 54.73x
Llansaintfraed In Elvel 11 361.84x
Lyncombe Widcombe 11 9.00x
Mile End Old Town London 11 1.78x
Oswestry Town 11 13.72x
Ratcliffe London 11 6.87x
West Ham 11 0.87x
Bridgewater 10 7.89x
Bucknell 10 141.04x
Corsham 10 26.73x
Darlaston 10 7.39x
Durnford 10 224.22x
Ince In Makerfield 10 6.25x
Llangunllo 10 207.47x
Maidstone 10 3.39x
Salisbury St Thomas 10 49.24x
St Peter Port 10 6.29x
Whitworth 10 15.84x
Worcester St John 10 22.12x
Worcester St Nicholas 10 55.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 186
Elizabeth 126
Sarah 122
Emma 53
Ann 50
Eliza 50
Annie 45
Jane 44
Alice 37
Emily 37
Ellen 35
Martha 33
Harriet 29
Florence 28
Margaret 28
Charlotte 24
Hannah 24
Caroline 20
Louisa 18
Ethel 16
Susan 16
Ada 14
Agnes 14
Frances 14
Edith 13
Maria 13
Amelia 12
Anne 12
Catherine 12
Fanny 12
Clara 11
Harriett 11
Lucy 10
Anna 9
Lydia 9
Matilda 9
Julia 8
Kate 8
Rose 8
Sophia 8
Amy 7
Bessie 6
Maud 6
Beatrice 5
Eleanor 5
Francis 5
Laura 5
Minnie 5
Rosina 5
Rebecca 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 190
John 153
George 133
Thomas 93
James 87
Charles 78
Henry 65
Joseph 45
Edward 39
Frederick 33
Albert 32
Richard 30
Robert 29
Alfred 28
Arthur 27
Walter 27
Edwin 25
Samuel 25
Harry 18
Herbert 14
Isaac 13
Benjamin 11
Francis 11
Frank 11
Daniel 10
David 9
Ernest 8
Abraham 7
Wm. 7
Fred 5
Reginald 5
Stephen 5
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Jesse 4
Nathaniel 4
Owen 4
Tom 4
Alexander 3
Frances 3
Jonathan 3
Oliver 3
Peter 3
Richd. 3
Sydney 3
Willm. 3
Edgar 2
Joshua 2
Leonard 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Dyke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dyke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,954 people were recorded with the Dyke surname. That placed it at #1,513 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dyke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,675 in 2016. That gives Dyke a modern rank of #1,854.

What does the Dyke surname mean?

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a dike or ditch.

What does the Dyke map show?

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