NameCensus.

UK surname

Davila

Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the biblical name David, meaning "beloved."

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Brighton and Hove and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Davila is 127 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

2016

127 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Davila surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Davila surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Davila 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
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 5 #33,728
1911 historical 3 #33,789
1997 modern 55 #32,114
1998 modern 61 #31,841
1999 modern 60 #32,078
2000 modern 64 #31,735
2001 modern 63 #31,693
2002 modern 72 #31,269
2003 modern 76 #30,883
2004 modern 77 #31,024
2005 modern 76 #31,267
2006 modern 82 #30,933
2007 modern 81 #31,408
2008 modern 87 #30,999
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 115 #28,176
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Davilas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Brighton and Hove, Waveney and Tunbridge Wells. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 032 Barnet
2 Barnet 031 Barnet
3 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
4 Waveney 002 Waveney
5 Tunbridge Wells 008 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Davila

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Davila

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Davila surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Davila household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Davila is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Davila 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

Davila falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Davila is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Davila

The surname Davila is of Spanish origin, originating from the medieval kingdom of Castile in central Spain. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish place name "Ávila," referring to the city and province of the same name. The name Ávila itself is thought to come from the Latin word "abula," meaning "flat land."

Ávila was an important city during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula fought to reclaim territories from the Moors. The Davila surname may have originated as a locational name, indicating someone who came from or lived in the city or region of Ávila.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Davila surname can be found in the Cartulario de Arlanza, a medieval cartulary (a collection of charters and deeds) dating back to the 11th century. This document mentions a nobleman named Rodrigo Dávila, who held lands in the region of Ávila.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, several members of the Davila family gained prominence in Spain. One notable figure was Pedrarias Dávila (1440-1531), a Spanish conquistador and the first governor of Castilla de Oro (present-day Panama). He played a significant role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Another prominent individual was Gil González Dávila (1480-1558), a Spanish historian and author of the "Teatro Eclesiástico de las Iglesias Metropolitanas y Catedrales de los Reynos de las dos Castillas," a chronicle of the churches and cathedrals in Castile.

In the 17th century, Pedro Dávila y Cárdenas (1590-1666) was a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor of the Duchy of Milan and the Viceroy of Valencia.

During the Golden Age of Spanish literature, the poet and dramatist Guillén de Castro (1569-1631), whose full name was Guillén de Castro y Bellvis, adopted the literary name "Dávila" in some of his works, though it was not his actual surname.

Over the centuries, the Davila surname has spread beyond Spain and can be found in various regions of Latin America, particularly in countries with significant Spanish colonial influence, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Davila surname: questions and answers

How common is the Davila surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Davila a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Davila surname mean?

Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the biblical name David, meaning "beloved."

What does the Davila map show?

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