NameCensus.

UK surname

Deacy

An Irish surname derived from Irish Gaelic 'O'Dathaidh' meaning 'descendant of Dathi'.

In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Deacy surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 195, ranked #19,921, up from #28,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Rother and Blaby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deacy is 205 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 441.7%.

1881 census count

36

Ranked #28,559

Modern count

195

2016, ranked #19,921

Peak year

2007

205 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deacy had 36 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016, ranked #19,921.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 80 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Deacy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deacy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deacy 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 36 #28,559
1891 historical 28 #32,046
1901 historical 54 #28,178
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 180 #19,298
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 185 #19,212
2003 modern 190 #18,683
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 194 #19,011
2009 modern 199 #19,090
2010 modern 205 #19,140
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 181 #20,531
2013 modern 186 #20,502
2014 modern 193 #20,159
2015 modern 195 #19,909
2016 modern 195 #19,921

Geography

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Where Deacys 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 Westminster, Rother, Blaby, Poole and Waltham Forest. 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 Westminster 018 Westminster
2 Rother 007 Rother
3 Blaby 006 Blaby
4 Poole 013 Poole
5 Waltham Forest 007 Waltham Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deacy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deacy

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Deacy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Deacy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Deacy is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Deacy 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

Deacy 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 Deacy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Deacy

The surname Deacy is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Déise, which originated in the ancient territory of Déise in County Waterford, Ireland. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Irish word "deas," meaning "south" or "southern," referring to the location of the Déise region.

The Deacy name can be traced back to the 12th century, as it is mentioned in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals record the death of Donnchadh Ó Déise, a notable figure from the Déise clan, in the year 1151.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Deacy surname appears in the Irish Fiants of the 16th century, which were official records of royal grants and appointments. In 1552, a certain Donyll O'Deacy is mentioned as receiving a pardon from the English Crown.

During the 17th century, the Deacy name can be found in various Irish records, such as the 1659 Census of Ireland, which listed several Deacy families in County Waterford. The name was also anglicized to various spellings like Deecy, Deasey, and Dacy during this period.

Notable individuals with the Deacy surname throughout history include:

1. John Deacy (1797-1858), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. 2. Michael Deacy (1819-1904), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the fourth Bishop of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. 3. William Deacy (1824-1876), an Irish-born Catholic priest and educator who founded St. Mary's College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. 4. Patrick Deacy (1836-1923), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the second Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. 5. John Deacy (1878-1953), an Irish-born Catholic priest and historian who authored several works on Irish history and the Irish language.

While the Deacy surname has its roots in County Waterford, Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Irish emigration, particularly to North America and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deacy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deacy 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 19 Deacys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 19 4.56x
Gloucestershire 6 8.71x
Middlesex 4 1.14x
Staffordshire 3 2.53x
Buckinghamshire 1 4.71x
Dorset 1 4.34x
Surrey 1 0.58x
Yorkshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 8 Deacys recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.61x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 8 31.61x
Everton 6 45.18x
Gloucester St Catherine 6 3157.89x
Bushbury 2 952.38x
St Giles In Fields London 2 116.28x
Wigan 2 34.36x
Willesden 2 60.42x
Bury 1 21.01x
Eston 1 131.58x
Portland 1 80.65x
Rotherhithe 1 23.04x
Upper Winchendon 1 5000.00x
Walsall Foreign 1 16.34x
West Derby 1 8.20x
Windle 1 42.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Louis 1
Margaret 1
Norah 1

Top male names

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

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 Deacy households.

FAQ

Deacy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deacy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Deacy surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deacy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016. That gives Deacy a modern rank of #19,921.

What does the Deacy surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from Irish Gaelic 'O'Dathaidh' meaning 'descendant of Dathi'.

What does the Deacy map show?

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