Origins of the Dawson surname

What does the name Dawson mean?

Dawson is an English surname that has been discovered in records as early as the 1300s. It is believed to be a patronymic name given to those who are the son or descendant of 'Dawe', 'Daud' or 'Dow', these three names being diminutive or pet names of the forename 'David'. Some proponents believe that the surname also arose from the Norman name 'D'Ossone', reffering to somebody from an area of the same name (and a knight by that name is reupted to have accompanied William the Conquerer in 1066), but this is considered to be rarer.

Alternative variations of the name Dawson

Dawson, Dawsons, Dowson, Dawsone, Dauson

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Delve deeper into the Dawson family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 3174North West 1331Isle of Man 94Yorkshire 6603East Midlands 1663West Midlands 1531East 1117London 7927South East 1429South West 203South Wales 54Mid Wales 13West Wales 2North Wales 67Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Dawsons lived in london

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Interesting facts about Dawson

How common is your surname?

95th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Dawson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1300.

Who were Dawsons most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Dawsons.

What are the most common Dawson first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Dawson family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Dawsons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Dawsons in 1921

Dressmaker

1,381

Cotton Weaver

1,223

Domestic Servant

773

Housekeeper

645

General Servant Domestic

593

Common male occupations for Dawsons in 1921

Coal Miner

1,814

Agricultural Labourer

1,078

Farmer

1,005

General Labourer

998

Joiner

753

We found over 500,000 family trees with the Dawson surname

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