UK surname
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "from the valley".
In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Davall surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 76, ranked #33,304, down from #22,893 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Clacton, Great, London parishes and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Davall is 140 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.3%.
1881 census count
75
Ranked #22,893
Modern count
76
2016, ranked #33,304
Peak year
1901
140 bearers
Map years
3
1891 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Davall surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Davall surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 61 | #22,412 |
| 1861 | historical | 74 | #24,370 |
| 1881 | historical | 75 | #22,893 |
| 1891 | historical | 123 | #20,939 |
| 1901 | historical | 140 | #18,795 |
| 1911 | historical | 128 | #19,664 |
| 1997 | modern | 81 | #29,436 |
| 1998 | modern | 90 | #28,920 |
| 1999 | modern | 89 | #29,168 |
| 2000 | modern | 85 | #29,598 |
| 2001 | modern | 85 | #29,396 |
| 2002 | modern | 88 | #29,534 |
| 2003 | modern | 94 | #28,686 |
| 2004 | modern | 89 | #29,623 |
| 2005 | modern | 89 | #29,683 |
| 2006 | modern | 90 | #29,893 |
| 2007 | modern | 86 | #30,808 |
| 2008 | modern | 90 | #30,567 |
| 2009 | modern | 88 | #31,352 |
| 2010 | modern | 86 | #32,081 |
| 2011 | modern | 79 | #32,743 |
| 2012 | modern | 76 | #33,191 |
| 2013 | modern | 79 | #33,142 |
| 2014 | modern | 78 | #33,270 |
| 2015 | modern | 75 | #33,425 |
| 2016 | modern | 76 | #33,304 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Clacton, Great, London parishes, Brighton, Maidstone, Linton, Loddington and Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden Ely Place and Ely Rents. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clacton, Great | Essex |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Brighton | Sussex |
| 4 | Maidstone, Linton, Loddington | Kent |
| 5 | Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden Ely Place and Ely Rents | London (Central Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Davall surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Davall, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Davall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Davall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Davall is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Davall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Davall, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Davall is believed to have originated in the Catalonia region of Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan word "davall," which means "below" or "underneath," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived at a lower elevation or in a valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Davall surname can be found in the Llibre del Repartiment, a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of land and property in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista. This document mentions a person named Guillem Davall, who was granted land in the area of Alzira, near Valencia.
Another early reference to the Davall name comes from the Catalan Atlas, a 14th-century collection of navigational charts and maps created by Jewish cartographers in the Kingdom of Aragon. One of the maps features the name "Davall" inscribed near the coast of Catalonia, possibly indicating a place name or the location of a notable Davall family.
In the 15th century, the Davall surname appears in several historical records from the city of Barcelona. One notable individual was Joan Davall, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived between 1420 and 1489. He was involved in the city's trade and shipping industries and held prominent positions within the local government.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Davall surname spread beyond Catalonia and can be found in other parts of Spain, as well as in the neighboring regions of southern France and northern Italy. For example, there are records of a Davall family living in the town of Perpignan, in the Roussillon region of France, during the late 16th century.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the Davall surname was Josep Davall i Mora, a Spanish painter and engraver who was born in Barcelona in 1725 and died in 1788. He was known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can still be found in churches and museums in Catalonia.
Another individual of note was Francesc Davall i Casanova, a Catalan writer and historian who lived from 1770 to 1845. He wrote extensively about the history and culture of Catalonia and was a prominent figure in the Renaixença, the literary and cultural movement that aimed to revive the Catalan language and identity.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Davall surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 27 Davalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.69x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 27 | 3.69x |
| Staffordshire | 15 | 6.07x |
| Kent | 14 | 5.61x |
| Surrey | 7 | 1.96x |
| Sussex | 6 | 4.87x |
| Essex | 3 | 2.08x |
| Leicestershire | 2 | 2.47x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.12x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maidstone in Kent leads with 13 Davalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 174.97x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Maidstone | 13 | 174.97x |
| Hammersmith London | 11 | 61.04x |
| Islington London | 7 | 9.87x |
| Brighton | 6 | 24.12x |
| St Sepulchre London | 6 | 560.75x |
| Stone | 6 | 189.87x |
| Cheadle | 5 | 420.17x |
| Newington | 5 | 18.50x |
| Castle Church | 3 | 202.70x |
| Leyton | 3 | 120.48x |
| Belgrave | 2 | 109.29x |
| Shoreditch London | 2 | 6.31x |
| Broughton In Preston | 1 | 666.67x |
| Holy Trinity Less London | 1 | 526.32x |
| Lambeth | 1 | 1.57x |
| Leatherhead | 1 | 112.36x |
| Stafford St Mary | 1 | 28.57x |
| Tonbridge | 1 | 11.11x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Davall surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Davall surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Davall households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 12 |
| Bookbinder | 2 |
| Farmers Son | 2 |
| Paper Hanger | 2 |
| Accountant | 1 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Barmaid | 1 |
| Book Binder | 1 |
| Book Sewer | 1 |
| Brewers Agent | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Farmer 142 Ac | 1 |
| Farmer Of 120 Acres 2 Men | 1 |
| Farmers Wife | 1 |
| Grocers Porter | 1 |
| House Keeper | 1 |
| Iron Moulder | 1 |
| Labourer Brass Foundry | 1 |
| Labourer General | 1 |
| Machine Maker | 1 |
| Plumber | 1 |
| Printer | 1 |
| Printers Pressman (Apprentice) | 1 |
| Publican | 1 |
| Reading Boy | 1 |
| Sailor | 1 |
| Seaman | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
| Tailoress | 1 |
| Wife | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Davall surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 76 in 2016. That gives Davall a modern rank of #33,304.
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "from the valley".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Davall bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.