NameCensus.

UK surname

Davy

Derived from the French surname "Davy," a diminutive of the given name "David," meaning "beloved."

In the 1881 census there were 3,684 people recorded with the Davy surname, ranking it #1,238 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,058, ranked #2,206, down from #1,238 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Great Yarmouth and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Northumberland and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Davy is 3,948 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.0%.

1881 census count

3,684

Ranked #1,238

Modern count

3,058

2016, ranked #2,206

Peak year

1901

3,948 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Davy had 3,684 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,238 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,058 in 2016, ranked #2,206.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,948 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Davy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Davy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Davy 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 3,138 #923
1861 historical 2,658 #1,104
1881 historical 3,684 #1,238
1891 historical 3,508 #1,360
1901 historical 3,948 #1,429
1911 historical 3,712 #1,400
1997 modern 3,015 #2,137
1998 modern 3,111 #2,157
1999 modern 3,131 #2,163
2000 modern 3,104 #2,167
2001 modern 3,026 #2,175
2002 modern 3,100 #2,171
2003 modern 3,044 #2,157
2004 modern 3,006 #2,179
2005 modern 2,974 #2,180
2006 modern 2,994 #2,163
2007 modern 3,021 #2,164
2008 modern 3,034 #2,165
2009 modern 3,153 #2,142
2010 modern 3,200 #2,158
2011 modern 3,157 #2,159
2012 modern 3,046 #2,194
2013 modern 3,080 #2,204
2014 modern 3,109 #2,197
2015 modern 3,071 #2,200
2016 modern 3,058 #2,206

Geography

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Where Davys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Great Yarmouth, Bradford, St Mary Islington and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Northumberland, Harrogate, Cornwall and Forest Heath. 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 3
2 Great Yarmouth Norfolk
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 008 Craven
2 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
3 Harrogate 009 Harrogate
4 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
5 Forest Heath 008 Forest Heath

Forenames

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First names often paired with Davy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Davy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Davy, 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 Davy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Davy 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, Davy 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

Davy 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

Davy 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 Davy 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Davy

The surname Davy has its origins in the medieval French given name David, which is derived from the Hebrew name David, meaning 'beloved'. The name is first found in English records in the late 12th century after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166, where it appears as Davy. It was initially a patronymic surname, meaning 'son of David'. The name was widespread across England, particularly in the southern and eastern counties, by the 13th century.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are several references to individuals with the surname Davy, including William Davy of Oxfordshire and Robert Davy of Berkshire. The Davy surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, indicating its presence in that region.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain the surname Davy, as it predates the use of hereditary surnames in England. However, it does record individuals with the given name David, which later gave rise to the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Davy (c. 1285-1345), a English judge and landowner from Bodmin, Cornwall. He served as a justice of the Court of Common Pleas and acquired substantial estates in Devon and Cornwall.

Other notable individuals with the surname Davy include:

1. Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829), a Cornish chemist and inventor, best known for his contributions to the safety lamp for miners. 2. John Davy (1790-1868), a younger brother of Humphry Davy, also a chemist and amateur philosopher. 3. Marie-Madeleine Davy (1631-1698), a French Roman Catholic nun and founder of the Daughters of the Cross. 4. Richard Davy (1588-1643), an English clergyman and Master of Caius College, Cambridge. 5. John Davy (1633-1685), an English composer and organist at the Chapel Royal.

The surname Davy has also been associated with various place names, such as Davy Hulme in Greater Manchester, which is derived from the Old English personal name Dafa and 'holmr' meaning 'water-meadow'.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Davy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Davy 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. Yorkshire leads with 732 Davys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.05x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 732 2.05x
Middlesex 458 1.27x
Devon 304 4.05x
Norfolk 292 5.27x
Lincolnshire 239 4.15x
Suffolk 214 4.88x
Lancashire 209 0.49x
Surrey 195 1.11x
Cornwall 136 3.33x
Kent 89 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 77 1.59x
Dorset 67 2.83x
Durham 67 0.63x
Essex 58 0.82x
Cumberland 54 1.74x
Northumberland 54 1.01x
Somerset 54 0.93x
Gloucestershire 40 0.57x
Glamorgan 35 0.56x
Hampshire 33 0.45x
Staffordshire 30 0.25x
Worcestershire 24 0.51x
Cheshire 23 0.29x
Lanarkshire 22 0.19x
Derbyshire 20 0.35x
Sussex 20 0.33x
Channel Islands 18 1.69x
Leicestershire 16 0.40x
Hertfordshire 14 0.56x
Warwickshire 13 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.48x
Berkshire 9 0.33x
Northamptonshire 9 0.27x
Herefordshire 8 0.54x
Monmouthshire 8 0.31x
Bedfordshire 7 0.38x
Inverness-shire 7 0.65x
Angus 5 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.26x
Midlothian 4 0.08x
Royal Navy 4 0.93x
Wiltshire 3 0.09x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.06x
Westmorland 2 0.25x
Isle of Man 1 0.15x
Kincardineshire 1 0.23x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 76 Davys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.18x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 76 2.18x
Ecclesall Bierlow 66 9.09x
Camberwell 52 2.26x
Great Yarmouth 45 9.81x
Leeds 41 2.03x
Brightside Bierlow 40 5.71x
Shoreditch London 40 2.56x
St Pancras London 40 1.38x
Kimberworth 37 18.67x
Hackney London 31 1.53x
Newington 31 2.33x
Swardeston 29 693.78x
Great Grimsby 27 7.39x
Pudsey 25 13.10x
Kensington London 24 1.20x
Paddington London 22 1.66x
Sheffield 22 1.94x
Bethnal Green London 21 1.34x
Lambeth 21 0.67x
Tavistock 21 24.58x
Barking 20 9.61x
Mile End Old Town London 20 2.61x
Plymouth St Andrew 20 3.46x
Worksop 20 13.89x
Great Little Marsden 19 9.70x
North Cave Drewton 19 135.14x
Wath On Dearne 19 26.67x
Bow London 18 3.92x
Hampstead London 18 3.21x
Plymouth Charles The 18 5.45x
Heigham 17 5.72x
Manningham 17 3.87x
Cleator 16 12.39x
Holy Trinity 16 1.86x
Manchester 16 0.83x
Milton Abbott 16 147.47x
Padiham 16 15.49x
St Just In Penwith 16 20.22x
St Marylebone London 16 0.83x
Colyton 15 52.10x
Deptford St Paul 15 1.58x
Sale 15 15.38x
Stoke Abbott 15 220.91x
Ulceby 15 106.99x
Bradford 14 1.62x
Docking 14 80.37x
Exeter Heavitree 14 25.04x
Nottingham St Mary 14 1.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 1.93x
St Helier 14 4.03x
Stradbroke 14 94.47x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 13 3.91x
Battersea 13 0.98x
East Dereham 13 18.58x
Elvet 13 16.80x
Horton In Bradford 13 2.33x
Madron Penzance 13 8.77x
Preston 13 1.14x
Weasenham All Sts 13 289.53x
West Bromwich 13 1.87x
Halliwell 12 7.71x
Loddon 12 84.27x
Mansfield 12 7.14x
Rotherham 12 5.96x
West Bradenham 12 318.30x
Bishopwearmouth 11 1.20x
Bitton 11 17.89x
Cheltenham 11 2.02x
Glusburn 11 54.56x
Hunslet 11 1.98x
Kelly 11 392.86x
Nether Hallam 11 2.28x
Portland 11 8.65x
Ringwood 11 23.29x
Salford 11 0.87x
St George Hanover Square 11 1.73x
St Just In Roseland 11 61.59x
St Luke London 11 1.90x
Sutton In Keighley 11 54.43x
Wainfleet All Sts 11 65.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 238
Elizabeth 137
Sarah 104
Emma 74
Eliza 65
Jane 65
Ann 63
Ellen 55
Annie 53
Alice 44
Hannah 36
Maria 34
Harriet 33
Emily 30
Margaret 30
Martha 26
Caroline 25
Edith 25
Lucy 23
Louisa 20
Charlotte 19
Harriett 19
Agnes 18
Fanny 18
Kate 18
Catherine 17
Clara 17
Florence 17
Ada 14
Frances 14
Rebecca 14
Susan 14
Anne 13
Jessie 13
Lydia 13
Susanna 13
Amy 11
Elizth. 10
Ethel 10
Grace 10
Maud 10
Rose 10
Sophia 10
Susannah 10
Esther 9
Laura 9
Julia 8
Matilda 8
Amelia 7
Bessie 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 244
John 227
George 113
Thomas 100
Henry 77
James 75
Charles 69
Robert 57
Joseph 54
Richard 39
Arthur 37
Frederick 37
Alfred 36
Edward 35
Samuel 29
Walter 27
Albert 25
Herbert 25
David 21
Harry 19
Ernest 17
Francis 17
Daniel 15
Frank 14
Edmund 11
Edwin 11
Fred 10
Percy 10
Benjamin 9
Tom 8
Dennis 7
Fredrick 7
Stephen 6
Thos. 6
Harold 5
Isaac 5
Joshua 5
Willie 5
Abraham 4
Geo. 4
Mark 4
Mathew 4
Michael 4
Sydney 4
Jonas 3
Moses 3
Richd. 3
Robt. 3
Sidney 3
Wm. 3

FAQ

Davy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Davy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,684 people were recorded with the Davy surname. That placed it at #1,238 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Davy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,058 in 2016. That gives Davy a modern rank of #2,206.

What does the Davy surname mean?

Derived from the French surname "Davy," a diminutive of the given name "David," meaning "beloved."

What does the Davy map show?

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