NameCensus.

UK surname

Darney

A locational surname originating from Darney, a town in northeastern France.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Darney surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 99, ranked #31,358, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, KInghorn and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Braintree and Bournemouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Darney is 179 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.2%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

99

2016, ranked #31,358

Peak year

1861

179 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 1911

Key insights

  • Darney had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016, ranked #31,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 179 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Darney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Darney surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Darney 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 179 #13,127
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 102 #22,465
1997 modern 85 #28,988
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 95 #28,465
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 96 #30,854
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 102 #29,902
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 99 #31,358

Geography

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Where Darneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, KInghorn, St Philip and Jacob, St Pancras and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Braintree and Bournemouth. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 KInghorn Fife
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 017 Neath Port Talbot
2 Neath Port Talbot 019 Neath Port Talbot
3 Braintree 015 Braintree
4 Neath Port Talbot 007 Neath Port Talbot
5 Bournemouth 018 Bournemouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Darney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Darney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Darney, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Darney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Darney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Darney is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Darney is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Darney falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Darney 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 Darney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Darney

The surname Darney has its origins in the region of Lorraine in northeastern France. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the town of Darney, which is situated in the Vosges department of Lorraine. The name of the town itself is thought to come from the Gallo-Roman personal name Darius or Dario, coupled with the suffix "-acum," indicating ownership or origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Darney can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Metz, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which listed the names of the citizens of the city of Metz. This suggests that the name was present in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, a Jean Darney is mentioned in the records of the Abbey of Saint-Mihiel, located in the neighboring Meuse department. This entry provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the area.

During the 16th century, the surname appears to have spread beyond its original geographic confines. In 1567, a Guillaume Darney is recorded as having lived in the city of Paris, indicating that the name had already begun to disperse across France.

One notable bearer of the Darney surname was François-Joseph Darney, a French architect born in Mirecourt, Lorraine, in 1746. He is best known for his work on the Palais de la Bourse in Marseille, which was completed in 1860, several years after his death in 1848.

Another person of historical significance bearing the Darney name was Jean-Baptiste Darney, a French military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in Verdun in 1779, he rose to the rank of General and was awarded the prestigious Légion d'Honneur for his service.

In the 19th century, the Darney surname can be found in various parts of Europe, including Germany and Belgium, likely due to migration patterns. One example is Auguste Darney, a Belgian painter born in Liège in 1840, who was known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

While the name Darney has its roots in the Lorraine region of France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by those who emigrated from their ancestral homelands. However, its earliest and most significant associations remain tied to its place of origin in northeastern France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Darney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Darney 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 14 Darneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 14 1.36x
Middlesex 12 1.38x
Midlothian 12 10.32x
Gloucestershire 10 5.87x
Glamorgan 9 5.96x
Durham 8 3.10x
Nottinghamshire 6 5.13x
Staffordshire 4 1.37x
Yorkshire 4 0.47x
Kent 3 1.01x
Essex 2 1.17x
Lanarkshire 2 0.71x
Somerset 1 0.72x
Sussex 1 0.68x
Warwickshire 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 10 Darneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.38x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 62.38x
North Leith 8 148.70x
Radyr 8 5333.33x
Tanfield 6 195.44x
West Retford 6 2500.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 8.55x
Liverpool 4 6.39x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 12.87x
Blatchinworth 3 127.66x
Rotherham 3 61.86x
St Pancras London 3 4.29x
Bishopwearmouth 2 9.03x
Bromley London 2 10.47x
Edgeworth 2 363.64x
Glasgow 2 4.01x
Leigh 2 333.33x
Preston Next Faversham 2 285.71x
Shoreditch London 2 5.32x
St George In East London 2 24.51x
St Marylebone London 2 4.32x
Walmersley Cum 2 121.21x
Brighton 1 3.39x
Cardiff St John 1 20.24x
Elton 1 28.09x
Heap 1 18.32x
Hulme 1 4.65x
Portishead 1 96.15x
Rugby 1 33.78x
Sculcoates 1 7.33x
Sittingbourne 1 42.74x
Westminster St James 1 11.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Ellen 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Hannah 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Joanna 1
Johanna 1
Lilian 1
Lydia 1
Margrate 1
Martha 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Darney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Darney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Darney surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Darney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016. That gives Darney a modern rank of #31,358.

What does the Darney surname mean?

A locational surname originating from Darney, a town in northeastern France.

What does the Darney map show?

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