Origins of the Dean surname

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