NameCensus.

UK surname

Davies

A patronymic Welsh surname meaning "son of David."

In the 1881 census there were 152,295 people recorded with the Davies surname, ranking it #6 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 218,077, also still ranked #6.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Davies is 227,538 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.2%.

1881 census count

152,295

Ranked #6

Modern count

218,077

2016, ranked #6

Peak year

2000

227,538 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Davies had 152,295 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 218,077 in 2016, ranked #6.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 215,361 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Davies surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Davies surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Davies 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 102,221 #6
1861 historical 99,256 #6
1881 historical 152,295 #6
1891 historical 164,230 #6
1901 historical 192,592 #6
1911 historical 215,361 #5
1997 modern 216,259 #6
1998 modern 225,155 #6
1999 modern 227,441 #6
2000 modern 227,538 #6
2001 modern 219,912 #6
2002 modern 224,240 #6
2003 modern 218,498 #6
2004 modern 217,828 #6
2005 modern 214,329 #6
2006 modern 214,672 #6
2007 modern 216,224 #6
2008 modern 216,488 #6
2009 modern 221,300 #6
2010 modern 225,929 #6
2011 modern 222,906 #6
2012 modern 217,101 #6
2013 modern 221,040 #6
2014 modern 221,918 #6
2015 modern 219,402 #6
2016 modern 218,077 #6

Geography

Back to top

Where Davies' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Bedwelty and Llanelly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Neath Port Talbot. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
3 Aberdare Glamorganshire
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Llanelly Carmarthenshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Ceredigion 010 Ceredigion
3 Ceredigion 009 Ceredigion
4 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion
5 Neath Port Talbot 004 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Davies

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Davies

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Davies surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Davies household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Davies 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

Davies is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Davies 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 Davies is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Davies

The surname Davies is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name David, which is ultimately from the Hebrew name "David" meaning "beloved". The name originated in Wales during the Middle Ages, where it was spelled as "Dafydd" in the Welsh language.

The Davies surname can be traced back to the 13th century in Wales, where it was one of the most common surnames among the Welsh people. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Red Book of Hergest, a 14th-century Welsh manuscript, which mentions a person named "Dafydd ap Gruffudd".

The name Davies is closely associated with the history and culture of Wales. It was particularly prevalent in the counties of Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, and Pembrokeshire, where many families bearing this surname have deep roots dating back centuries.

One notable figure with the surname Davies is John Davies (1565-1618), a Welsh poet, lexicographer, and Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his work "Antiquae Linguae Britannicae" (1632), which was one of the earliest dictionaries of the Welsh language.

Another prominent individual is Richard Davies (1501-1581), a Welsh bishop and scholar who played a significant role in the translation of the Bible into Welsh. He was responsible for publishing the first printed book in the Welsh language, which was a translation of the Book of Common Prayer.

In the 18th century, Thomas Davies (1712-1785) was a prominent English actor, bookseller, and writer. He is best known for his work "Memoirs of the Life of David Garrick" (1780), which documented the life of the famous English actor David Garrick.

Samuel Davies (1723-1761) was a prominent American Presbyterian minister and president of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University). He played a significant role in the Great Awakening, a religious revival movement in the American colonies.

Another notable figure is David Davies (1818-1890), a Welsh industrialist and philanthropist who made his fortune in the coal and iron industries. He was a member of Parliament and was instrumental in the development of the town of Llandinam in Mid Wales.

While the surname Davies is predominantly Welsh in origin, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and has become a common surname in various English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Davies families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Davies 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. Glamorgan leads with 31,186 Davies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.05x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 31,186 12.05x
Carmarthenshire 15,271 24.38x
Lancashire 13,293 0.75x
Cardiganshire 10,860 29.96x
Monmouthshire 7,392 6.88x
Denbighshire 7,367 13.12x
Shropshire 6,920 5.39x
Pembrokeshire 6,800 14.40x
Cheshire 5,612 1.71x
Montgomeryshire 4,846 14.23x
Brecknockshire 4,517 15.20x
Middlesex 4,391 0.30x
Flintshire 3,983 9.97x
Staffordshire 3,954 0.79x
Caernarfonshire 3,875 6.45x
Merionethshire 3,278 12.06x
Herefordshire 2,883 4.73x
Surrey 2,120 0.29x
Yorkshire 1,731 0.12x
Radnorshire 1,593 13.29x
Warwickshire 1,377 0.37x
Worcestershire 1,225 0.63x
Gloucestershire 1,118 0.38x
Anglesey 751 2.85x
Kent 723 0.14x
Durham 576 0.13x
Cornwall 370 0.22x
Devon 352 0.11x
Essex 350 0.12x
Somerset 345 0.14x
Hampshire 337 0.11x
Derbyshire 308 0.13x
Lanarkshire 240 0.05x
Sussex 235 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 220 0.11x
Berkshire 187 0.17x
Wiltshire 128 0.10x
Northumberland 127 0.06x
Midlothian 117 0.06x
Leicestershire 114 0.07x
Lincolnshire 103 0.04x
Norfolk 92 0.04x
Renfrewshire 90 0.08x
Cumberland 88 0.07x
Hertfordshire 84 0.08x
Suffolk 79 0.04x
Oxfordshire 72 0.08x
Bedfordshire 67 0.09x
Northamptonshire 67 0.05x
Ayrshire 66 0.06x
Royal Navy 60 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 43 0.05x
Westmorland 38 0.12x
Channel Islands 35 0.08x
Dorset 33 0.03x
Kirkcudbrightshire 28 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 24 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 21 0.05x
Rutland 19 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 16 0.05x
Perthshire 16 0.02x
Roxburghshire 16 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 13 0.01x
Angus 13 0.01x
East Lothian 10 0.05x
Isle of Man 9 0.03x
Stirlingshire 7 0.01x
West Lothian 7 0.03x
Morayshire 5 0.02x
Argyllshire 4 0.01x
Inverness-shire 4 0.01x
Fife 3 0.00x
Kinross-shire 3 0.08x
Ross-shire 3 0.01x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.01x
Peeblesshire 2 0.03x
Selkirkshire 2 0.01x
Wigtownshire 2 0.01x
Banffshire 1 0.00x
Berwickshire 1 0.01x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.01x
Sutherland 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan leads with 3,818 Davies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.35x.

Place Total Index
Merthyr Tydfil 3,818 15.35x
Ystradyfodwg 3,793 16.71x
Aberdare 3,226 18.16x
Llanelly 2,414 17.11x
Bedwellty 2,285 12.05x
Swansea Town 1,860 8.77x
Llanwonno 1,391 14.96x
Clase 1,351 14.04x
Everton 1,199 2.13x
Toxteth Park 1,181 1.98x
Liverpool 1,168 1.09x
Carmarthen St Peter 1,109 20.72x
Ruabon 1,036 13.42x
Gelligaer 993 16.81x
Llanguick 985 21.25x
Llantrisant 853 13.08x
West Derby 810 1.57x
Aberystruth 741 7.83x
Llandilo Fawr 697 24.96x
Birkenhead 686 2.62x
Llandyssil 678 44.74x
Trevethin 672 6.62x
Neath 664 12.61x
Michaelstone Super Avon 633 22.60x
Festiniog 624 10.88x
Holywell 609 12.14x
Islington London 600 0.42x
Cardiff St Mary 567 3.98x
St Woollos 558 4.65x
Birmingham 556 0.45x
Eglwysilan 556 12.38x
Manchester 548 0.69x
Salford 530 1.02x
Cwmdu 521 16.53x
Llangadock 491 28.44x
Dudley 482 2.04x
Roath 482 4.10x
Conwil Cayo 467 46.35x
Llanarth 463 45.40x
Pembrey 452 15.69x
Lambeth 449 0.35x
St John Near Swansea 446 13.94x
Pembroke St Mary 439 7.22x
St Pancras London 439 0.37x
Aberystwith 435 13.94x
Swansea Higher 427 15.85x
Kirkdale 425 1.43x
Aston 422 0.41x
Wellington 405 5.61x
Stoke Upon Trent 404 0.76x
Llantwit Lower 402 17.68x
Wolverhampton 402 1.04x
Llanfihangel Ar Arth 401 40.22x
Hulme 398 1.08x
Wrexham Regis 396 9.50x
Mynyddyslwyn 394 9.30x
Llanidloes 388 15.37x
Llanllwchaiarn 387 40.47x
Cardigan St Mary 373 26.86x
Pool 370 14.41x
Rhyndwyclydach 370 20.61x
Llanwenog 367 46.31x
Cardiff St John 366 4.33x
Llanelly 363 10.21x
Oswestry Town 362 8.81x
Llandebie 358 19.71x
Llandingat 353 24.80x
Kenarth 350 40.36x
Tranmere 349 2.90x
Llanbeblig 348 5.71x
Briton Ferry 344 11.14x
Llangeler 342 41.00x
Llanfihangel Y Croyddyn 339 26.62x
Conwil 335 42.44x
Margam 333 11.54x
Shrewsbury St Chad 331 7.35x
Rhuddlan 328 9.33x
Broughton 326 14.77x
Tenby St Mary In 326 13.56x
Camberwell 321 0.34x
Abergwilly 320 31.11x
Penboyr 319 48.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13,689
Elizabeth 7,919
Sarah 5,497
Margaret 5,142
Jane 4,180
Ann 3,897
Anne 2,384
Hannah 2,146
Catherine 1,815
Ellen 1,608
Martha 1,574
Eliza 1,459
Annie 1,282
Alice 1,056
Rachel 1,046
Emma 992
Emily 751
Harriet 672
Esther 663
Maria 652
Eleanor 561
Edith 492
Louisa 447
Charlotte 426
Frances 372
Margret 372
Elizth. 360
Caroline 359
Fanny 338
Florence 292
Ada 280
Rebecca 273
Anna 271
Agnes 266
Susan 266
Ruth 261
Kate 247
Cathrine 245
Margt. 238
Clara 235
Lucy 232
Susannah 214
Sophia 205
Amelia 201
Gwen 194
Gwenllian 184
Lizzie 183
Lydia 176
Matilda 159
Jessie 158

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11,973
William 9,071
Thomas 7,661
David 7,597
James 2,952
George 2,216
Edward 2,175
Evan 2,018
Richard 1,773
Henry 1,606
Joseph 1,598
Robert 1,588
Daniel 1,314
Charles 1,251
Samuel 1,203
Benjamin 918
Arthur 687
Alfred 664
Rees 520
Walter 495
Hugh 492
Lewis 431
Wm. 419
Edwin 410
Albert 406
Owen 401
Frederick 398
Isaac 398
Morgan 382
Thos. 323
Griffith 289
Herbert 285
Stephen 233
Harry 222
Peter 203
Francis 199
Enoch 191
Ernest 171
Frank 167
Jenkin 166
Elias 160
Phillip 151
Jno. 138
Joshua 138
Howell 126
Morris 117
Ellis 115
Jonathan 115
Philip 113
Edmund 109

Top occupations

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 Davies households.

FAQ

Davies surname: questions and answers

How common was the Davies surname in 1881?

In 1881, 152,295 people were recorded with the Davies surname. That placed it at #6 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Davies surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 218,077 in 2016. That gives Davies a modern rank of #6.

What does the Davies surname mean?

A patronymic Welsh surname meaning "son of David."

What does the Davies map show?

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