NameCensus.

UK surname

Darcy

Derived from the French place name "Arcy," meaning "fortress" or "stronghold."

In the 1881 census there were 1,089 people recorded with the Darcy surname, ranking it #3,653 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,329, ranked #2,042, up from #3,653 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Cornwall and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Darcy is 3,374 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 205.7%.

1881 census count

1,089

Ranked #3,653

Modern count

3,329

2016, ranked #2,042

Peak year

2014

3,374 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Darcy had 1,089 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,653 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,329 in 2016, ranked #2,042.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,183 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Darcy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Darcy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Darcy 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 267 #8,342
1861 historical 436 #5,907
1881 historical 1,089 #3,653
1891 historical 988 #4,186
1901 historical 1,183 #4,142
1911 historical 1,107 #4,191
1997 modern 3,076 #2,088
1998 modern 3,203 #2,095
1999 modern 3,170 #2,131
2000 modern 3,132 #2,146
2001 modern 3,071 #2,143
2002 modern 3,155 #2,123
2003 modern 3,071 #2,136
2004 modern 3,029 #2,163
2005 modern 2,984 #2,168
2006 modern 2,996 #2,161
2007 modern 3,058 #2,140
2008 modern 3,092 #2,131
2009 modern 3,208 #2,109
2010 modern 3,305 #2,100
2011 modern 3,253 #2,106
2012 modern 3,238 #2,078
2013 modern 3,329 #2,059
2014 modern 3,374 #2,048
2015 modern 3,336 #2,043
2016 modern 3,329 #2,042

Geography

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Where Darcys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, Cornwall, Forest Heath, Rugby and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 023 Sefton
2 Cornwall 018 Cornwall
3 Forest Heath 008 Forest Heath
4 Rugby 006 Rugby
5 Stratford-on-Avon 005 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Darcy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Darcy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Darcy, 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 Darcy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Darcy 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, Darcy 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

Darcy is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Darcy falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Darcy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Darcy

The surname Darcy originated in Normandy, France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French place name "de Arceio" or "d'Arcy", which means "from Arcy". The name is believed to have been taken from one of several places in Normandy called Arcy or Arcis.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Darcy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "de Arcis". This suggests that the name was already well-established in Normandy by the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 12th century, the Darcy family held lands in Lincolnshire, England. One notable member of the family was Norman Darcy (c. 1170-1235), who served as Sheriff of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Darcy (c. 1285-1350), who was a member of the English Parliament and served as Lord Chamberlain to King Edward III.

During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, the Darcy family remained loyal to the House of Lancaster. Sir John Darcy (c. 1415-1458) was a prominent Lancastrian supporter and fought alongside Henry VI at the Battle of Towton in 1461.

In the 16th century, the Darcy family continued to hold significant positions in English society. Thomas Darcy (c. 1506-1568) was an English courtier and politician who served as Lord Chamberlain under Queen Mary I. His son, John Darcy (c. 1532-1602), was also a prominent figure and served as Lord Lieutenant of the Tower of London.

The name Darcy has been associated with several notable literary figures throughout history. One of the most famous is the character of Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice" (1813). While the character's name was likely inspired by the real-life Darcy family, Austen did not provide a specific origin for the name in her novel.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Darcy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Darcy 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. Lancashire leads with 65 Darcys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.54x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 65 2.54x
Middlesex 44 2.04x
Cheshire 14 2.94x
Surrey 13 1.24x
Gloucestershire 9 2.13x
Norfolk 8 2.41x
Somerset 8 2.31x
Yorkshire 8 0.37x
Lanarkshire 7 1.00x
Hampshire 5 1.13x
Lincolnshire 5 1.45x
Staffordshire 5 0.69x
Wiltshire 5 2.62x
Kent 4 0.54x
Dunbartonshire 3 5.18x
Sussex 3 0.83x
Cornwall 2 0.82x
Devon 2 0.45x
Warwickshire 2 0.37x
Angus 1 0.50x
Argyllshire 1 1.67x
Cumberland 1 0.54x
Derbyshire 1 0.30x
Dorset 1 0.71x
Essex 1 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 0.67x
Midlothian 1 0.35x
Royal Navy 1 3.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Poulton Cum Seacombe in Cheshire leads with 14 Darcys recorded in 1881 and an index of 255.94x.

Place Total Index
Poulton Cum Seacombe 14 255.94x
Camberwell 10 7.26x
Manchester 10 8.69x
Bury 9 30.80x
Everton 9 11.04x
Charlcombe 8 1739.13x
St Martin In Fields 8 61.97x
Islington London 7 3.35x
North Meols 7 27.96x
Norwich St Michael At 7 364.58x
Nymphsfield 7 3500.00x
Broughton In Salford 6 25.65x
Chelsea London 6 9.24x
Govan 5 2.90x
Leeds 5 4.15x
Swindon 5 33.81x
Tettenhall 5 112.36x
Westminster St John 5 19.05x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 9.84x
South Stoneham 4 41.75x
St Marylebone London 4 3.48x
Barnsley 3 13.62x
Great Crosby 3 43.04x
Kensington London 3 2.50x
Littlehampton 3 103.45x
Liverpool 3 1.93x
Manthorpe Cum Little 3 113.64x
Salford 3 3.99x
Toxteth Park 3 3.46x
West Derby 3 4.01x
Clapham 2 7.42x
Dartmouth Townstall 2 109.29x
Gillingham 2 13.19x
Great Bolton 2 5.90x
Hulme 2 3.75x
Madron Penzance 2 22.55x
Row 2 26.70x
Shoreditch London 2 2.14x
Twickenham 2 21.65x
Westminster St James 2 9.03x
Barony 1 0.57x
Birmingham 1 0.55x
Bisley 1 26.11x
Cardross 1 14.37x
Christ Church Newgate 1 100.00x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 6.16x
Craig 1 51.81x
Crosscanonby 1 16.29x
Eaton St Andrew 1 108.70x
Edinburgh Trinity 1 107.53x
Hamilton 1 5.14x
Hammersmith London 1 1.88x
Hampreston 1 97.09x
Hertford St John 1 45.25x
Hougham 1 22.88x
Kildalton 1 63.29x
Knaith Lea Gate Burton 1 370.37x
Lee 1 9.36x
Limehouse London 1 4.22x
Portsea 1 1.15x
Putney 1 10.17x
Repton 1 78.13x
Royal Navy 1 4.55x
Skirbeck 1 51.81x
South Shoebury 1 58.48x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.63x
Westbury On Trym 1 6.98x
Whitechapel London 1 4.71x
Widnes 1 5.42x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Darcy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Darcy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,089 people were recorded with the Darcy surname. That placed it at #3,653 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Darcy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,329 in 2016. That gives Darcy a modern rank of #2,042.

What does the Darcy surname mean?

Derived from the French place name "Arcy," meaning "fortress" or "stronghold."

What does the Darcy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Darcy 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.