Topics

• About the Dinmore One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Frequency of the name
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• Contact Details

About the Dinmore One-Name Study

Although the DINMORE one-name study was only registered in 2009, I started researching Dinmore family history in 2007. Data collection is well under way, from which family trees are being derived.

Variants

No variants are, as yet, being studied, although it is probable that as the study progresses it will be necessary to consider including one or more variants (see Origin of the surname). Mis-spellings of the name abound, but these are not true variants.

Origin of the surname

The origin of the name is thought to be locational. One possibility is therefore the area including Dinmore Manor and Hope under Dinmore in Herefordshire. Initial enquiries of the Herefordshire Record Office have, however, suggested that this is not the case. It appears that Dinmore may be a derivative of Dunmore, suggesting that its origins are either Celtic or English. The Celtic origin of Dunmore means “dweller at the great hill-fort” (Gaelic and Irish dun, a hill-fort, and mor, great). The English origin means dweller at either a hill moor (Old English dun, a hill, and mor), or at a brown moor (Old English dun/dunn, and mor).

Frequency of the name

The frequency of the name Dinmore in 1881 is given as just 72 people (3 per million of UK population) (www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk). In 1998 the frequency was 181 (5 per million). An ONS database (www.taliesin-arlein.net) gives a count of 234 individuals in the UK in 2002.

Distribution of the name

Although the majority of people with the name Dinmore reside in the UK, there are also some in New Zealand, and a very small proportion in the USA, Spain and France (www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames). Within England in 1881, the area with the highest density of people with the name Dinmore was South East London.

Data

Recording the Dinmore entries from the index of the General Register Office for England and Wales from 1837 is being carried out, together with all UK census occurrences. Other data include the 1880 USA census, and a varied and growing collection from The National Archives, Kew.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mrs Sally Wade
E-mail:

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Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.