NameCensus.

UK surname

Dacey

An English surname derived from the French place name "D'Acé", referring to a person from that region.

In the 1881 census there were 368 people recorded with the Dacey surname, ranking it #8,454 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 622, ranked #8,471, down from #8,454 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Bolton and St Edmundsbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dacey is 645 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.0%.

1881 census count

368

Ranked #8,454

Modern count

622

2016, ranked #8,471

Peak year

2010

645 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dacey had 368 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,454 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 622 in 2016, ranked #8,471.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 487 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dacey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dacey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dacey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dacey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 169 #11,832
1861 historical 284 #8,845
1881 historical 368 #8,454
1891 historical 421 #8,502
1901 historical 455 #8,641
1911 historical 487 #7,992
1997 modern 573 #8,415
1998 modern 595 #8,445
1999 modern 602 #8,425
2000 modern 602 #8,402
2001 modern 607 #8,230
2002 modern 627 #8,187
2003 modern 612 #8,203
2004 modern 619 #8,152
2005 modern 600 #8,274
2006 modern 595 #8,335
2007 modern 619 #8,161
2008 modern 613 #8,272
2009 modern 626 #8,316
2010 modern 645 #8,294
2011 modern 640 #8,257
2012 modern 628 #8,297
2013 modern 636 #8,345
2014 modern 621 #8,566
2015 modern 632 #8,380
2016 modern 622 #8,471

Geography

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Where Daceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, London parishes, Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Bolton, St Edmundsbury, Swansea and Burnley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 024 Caerphilly
2 Bolton 005 Bolton
3 St Edmundsbury 012 St Edmundsbury
4 Swansea 009 Swansea
5 Burnley 007 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dacey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dacey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dacey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dacey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dacey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dacey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dacey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dacey is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dacey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dacey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dacey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dacey

The surname Dacey has its origins in Wales, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh personal name Dai or Dafydd, which is the Welsh form of the name David. Dai is a pet name or hypocoristic form of Dafydd, and the patronymic suffix "-ey" was added to form the surname Dacey, meaning "son of Dai."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dacey surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Pembrokeshire, Wales, from the 13th century. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, and they contain entries of individuals bearing the name Dacey, though with slightly different spellings such as Daycy or Dacy.

During the Middle Ages, the Dacey family was notably present in the Welsh counties of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The surname is also associated with various place names in these regions, such as Dacey's Farm near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire.

In the 16th century, the Dacey surname appears in various records, including the Muster Rolls of Pembrokeshire from 1543, where the names Richard Dacey and Thomas Dacey are listed. Another notable figure from this time period is William Dacey, a Welsh clergyman born in Pembrokeshire in the early 1500s.

As the centuries progressed, the Dacey surname spread beyond Wales, with some notable individuals bearing the name. One example is John Dacey (1799-1866), an Irish-born American Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina.

Another prominent figure was Sir Norman Dacey (1901-1981), an American lawyer and author who gained recognition for his book "How to Avoid Probate," which criticized the legal system surrounding inheritance and estate planning.

In the 19th century, the Dacey surname can be found in various records from the United States, including the 1850 U.S. Federal Census, where individuals with the surname Dacey are listed in states such as New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

Throughout history, the Dacey surname has maintained its roots in Wales, while also spreading across different regions due to migration and other historical events. Despite variations in spelling, the name continues to carry its patronymic meaning, tracing back to the Welsh personal name Dai or Dafydd.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dacey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dacey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 72 Daceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.01x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 72 2.01x
Glamorgan 67 10.75x
Lancashire 52 1.22x
Surrey 30 1.72x
Monmouthshire 25 9.66x
Staffordshire 19 1.57x
Yorkshire 17 0.48x
Hampshire 12 1.64x
Essex 11 1.56x
Brecknockshire 10 13.97x
Kent 10 0.82x
Sussex 10 1.66x
Carmarthenshire 9 5.97x
Derbyshire 4 0.71x
Somerset 4 0.69x
Suffolk 4 0.92x
Warwickshire 3 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.46x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Cornwall 1 0.25x
Devon 1 0.13x
Hertfordshire 1 0.41x
Northamptonshire 1 0.30x
Northumberland 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 2.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cardiff St Mary in Glamorgan leads with 36 Daceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 104.86x.

Place Total Index
Cardiff St Mary 36 104.86x
Liverpool 15 5.81x
St George In East London 13 38.61x
Merthyr Tydfil 12 20.03x
Manchester 11 5.76x
Brighton 10 8.21x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 10 202.84x
Swansea Town 10 19.57x
Brecknock St John 9 149.01x
Greenwich 9 15.79x
Great Bolton 8 14.22x
Llanelly 8 23.54x
Southampton St Mary 8 17.34x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 11.10x
St Woollos 8 27.70x
Tipton 8 21.62x
West Ham 8 5.13x
Mile End Old Town London 7 9.19x
St Luke London 7 12.19x
Westminster St James 7 19.02x
Lambeth 6 1.92x
Warrington 6 11.91x
Bethnal Green London 5 3.22x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 23.39x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 32.26x
Walsall Foreign 5 8.01x
Whitechapel London 5 14.17x
Alfreton 4 23.49x
Bermondsey 4 3.75x
Blackburn 4 3.54x
Gorleston 4 36.10x
Linthorpe 4 18.89x
Southwark St Olave 4 146.52x
Usk 4 186.92x
West Derby 4 3.22x
Aston 3 1.21x
Bedminster 3 5.54x
East Ham 3 22.88x
Llanwonno 3 13.39x
Otley 3 34.84x
Portsea 3 2.09x
Roath 3 10.60x
Shadwell London 3 29.94x
Shoreditch London 3 1.93x
Tottenham 3 5.26x
Battersea 2 1.52x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 5.93x
Croydon 2 2.07x
Farnley Tyas 2 266.67x
Hornby 2 454.55x
Keighley 2 5.29x
Limehouse London 2 5.09x
Llandaff 2 9.64x
Newington 2 1.51x
Panteg 2 49.02x
Poplar London 2 2.96x
St Giles In Fields London 2 11.39x
St Marylebone London 2 1.05x
St Pancras London 2 0.69x
Camberwell 1 0.44x
Cardiff St John 1 4.91x
Chepstow 1 22.68x
Coxlodge 1 24.69x
Honley 1 16.10x
Leeds 1 0.50x
Lidford 1 29.85x
Llanelly 1 11.67x
Long Crendon 1 68.97x
Macclesfield 1 2.85x
Mevagissey 1 37.17x
Orton 1 1250.00x
Portsmouth 1 5.92x
Ratcliffe London 1 5.06x
Royal Navy 1 2.74x
Settle 1 36.76x
St Bartholomew Less 1 54.35x
Wandsworth 1 2.90x
Watford 1 5.23x
Yeovil 1 8.54x
York St Martin Mklgt W 1 125.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dacey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 37
Ellen 16
Margaret 12
Catherine 10
Ann 7
Hannah 7
Kate 5
Sarah 5
Jane 4
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Johanna 3
Louisa 3
Agnes 2
Anastasia 2
Annie 2
Bridget 2
Emily 2
Julia 2
Margt. 2
Rose 2
Anne 1
Cathr. 1
Cathrine 1
Cealia 1
Charlotte 1
Eden 1
Elenora 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannorah 1
Hanora 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Isabella 1
Katherine 1
Llauretta 1
Margret 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Nary 1
Nelley 1
Nellie 1
Silicia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dacey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 33
William 23
James 22
Michael 12
Jeremiah 11
Thomas 10
Patrick 9
Cornelius 7
Dennis 6
Wm. 6
Edward 5
Henry 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Daniel 3
George 3
Thos. 3
J. 2
Joseph 2
Michl. 2
Mike 2
Tom 2
Anthony 1
Antony 1
Arthur 1
Cornelias 1
Corney 1
David 1
Denis 1
Dominic 1
Dominick 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Hannah 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jeremy 1
Jno. 1
Lawerance 1
Lorance 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Micheal 1
Owen 1
Patk. 1
Peter 1
Sydny 1
Timothy 1

FAQ

Dacey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dacey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 368 people were recorded with the Dacey surname. That placed it at #8,454 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dacey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 622 in 2016. That gives Dacey a modern rank of #8,471.

What does the Dacey surname mean?

An English surname derived from the French place name "D'Acé", referring to a person from that region.

What does the Dacey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dacey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.