Skip to content
  • Start free trial

Origins of the Dean surname

A collage of historical images including two family portraits and a postcard of people boarding a ship

What does the name Dean mean?

Dean is an English surname, with Anglo-Saxon roots. It originates from the Old English word for valley, 'denu', which became 'dene' in Middle English. This name would be given to those who came from or lived near a valley, so are naturally more clustered in the more hilly areas of England. There are a number of places in England named similarly, most notably the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, where a number of people of this name are also thought to have originated.

Alternative variations of the name Dean

Dean, Deane, Deen, Dein, Deine

“

I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.

SS
Stuart
TrustPilot review
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Deans.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Dean family's history

Where do most Deans live?

In 1921, most Deans lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Deans

How common is your surname?

166th most common surname in the UK

We have 220,000 records for the Dean surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

Who were Deans most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Browns

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Deans.

What are the most common Dean first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Dean family members

Common jobs for Deans

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

Common Female occupations for Deans in 1921
Dressmaker

862

Cotton Weaver

739

Laundress

609

Domestic Servant

494

General Servant Domestic

450

Common Male occupations for Deans in 1921
General Labourer

790

Agricultural Labourer

766

Coal Miner

752

Farmer

575

Farm Labourer

539

An image of a census transcript and a picture of a dairy farmer holding two milk jugs

Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 430,000 family trees with the Dean surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Deans.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Share your discoveries

Find out more about your family in our records

or try an advanced search

Start your family history journey

Start free trial

Start free trial