Dean - Definition and Overview

Dean is a title given to some institutions' senior or supervisory staff.

• In a university, a dean is often the head of a division, faculty, college, or school. See academic administration.
• In a school, a dean may have a counseling role and enforce discipline.
• In diplomacy, the title Dean of the Diplomatic Corps is sometimes given to the most senior ambassador in a country's diplomatic corps.
• In politics, the title Dean of the House is sometimes given to the most senior member of a country's legislature.
• In a cathedral or other collegiate church, the dean is the chief resident clergyman, the head of the chapter of canons.
• In the Roman Catholic Church, a dean is responsible for a number of parishes within his diocese. In the Church of England, this official is called a 'rural dean.'

In geography, Dean is a common place name, meaning 'valley'.

• Dean, Bedfordshire
• Dean, Cumbria
• Dean, Devon
• Dean, Dorset
• Dean, Hampshire
• Dean, Oxfordshire
• Dean, Somerset
• Dean Prior, Devon
• Dean Row, Greater Manchester
• Deane, Greater Manchester
• Deane, Hampshire
• East Dean, East Sussex
• East Dean, Hampshire
• East Dean, West Sussex
• Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
• Hedgerley & Dean, Buckinghamshire
• West Dean, Hampshire
• West Dean, West Sussex

There are some notable people who are referred to by the name "Dean".

• Dean Allen is lead developer of Textpattern, a CMS and Blog software. He is also the co-founder of TextDrive, a web hosting company. He first made his mark on the web with Textism.
• Howard Dean was a presidential candidate in 2004 elections, and former Vermont governor.
• Dean Martin was a musician, and member of the Rat Pack
• Dean Torrence was part of the musical group Jan and Dean
• James Dean was an iconographic actor