NameCensus.

UK surname

Debney

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Debney surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and West Ham,Wanstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Birmingham and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Debney is 279 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.2%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1911

279 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Debney had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 279 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Debney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Debney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Debney 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 135 #13,964
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 211 #14,366
1901 historical 262 #12,740
1911 historical 279 #12,018
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 215 #17,159
2002 modern 221 #17,206
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 208 #17,758
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 207 #18,600
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 225 #17,733
2013 modern 222 #18,198
2014 modern 224 #18,202
2015 modern 221 #18,289
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Debneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire), West Ham,Wanstead and West Bromwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Birmingham, Dudley and Barnsley. 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 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 2
4 West Ham,Wanstead Essex
5 West Bromwich Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 022 Sandwell
2 Birmingham 095 Birmingham
3 Birmingham 118 Birmingham
4 Dudley 034 Dudley
5 Barnsley 020 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Debney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Debney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Debney, 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 Debney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Debney 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Debney is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Debney is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Debney 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 Debney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Debney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Debney 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. Middlesex leads with 55 Debneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.40x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 55 3.40x
Staffordshire 36 6.59x
Suffolk 12 6.08x
Kent 9 1.63x
Surrey 8 1.01x
Worcestershire 8 3.78x
Lancashire 7 0.36x
Warwickshire 6 1.47x
Norfolk 5 2.01x
Sussex 5 1.83x
Yorkshire 4 0.25x
Essex 3 0.94x
Hertfordshire 3 2.69x
Flintshire 2 4.59x
Devon 1 0.30x
Lanarkshire 1 0.19x
Shropshire 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gnosall in Staffordshire leads with 28 Debneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2121.21x.

Place Total Index
Gnosall 28 2121.21x
St George In East London 13 85.36x
Erith 8 147.06x
Oldbury 8 76.92x
Paddington London 8 13.44x
Limehouse London 7 39.37x
Aston 6 5.34x
Harborne 6 34.25x
Brighton 5 9.08x
Gorton 5 27.69x
Great Yarmouth 5 24.25x
Mile End New Town London 5 156.25x
Southwold 5 427.35x
Willesden 5 32.77x
Woodbridge 5 198.41x
Bermondsey 4 8.30x
Bromley London 4 11.23x
Hornsey 4 19.53x
Lambeth 4 2.83x
Islington London 3 1.91x
Layston 3 508.47x
Sculcoates 3 11.79x
Manchester 2 2.31x
Saffron Walden 2 59.17x
St Luke London 2 7.70x
Barlaston 1 217.39x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 1 27.03x
Castleford 1 17.12x
Edmonton 1 7.66x
Gorbals 1 32.15x
Hackney London 1 1.10x
Kensington London 1 1.11x
Meliden 1 158.73x
Rhuddlan 1 26.11x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 20.37x
St Marylebone London 1 1.16x
St Peters 1 39.06x
Stonham Earl 1 285.71x
Tormoham 1 7.01x
West Ham 1 1.42x
Wolverhampton 1 2.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Eliza 5
Ann 3
Annie 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Eleanor 2
Ellen 2
Gertrude 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Allere 1
Amelia 1
Caroline 1
Carroll 1
Clara 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethal 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 9
Thomas 6
Charles 5
James 5
John 5
Joseph 5
Richard 5
William 5
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Henry 2
Hy.Johnston 2
Albert 1
Daniel 1
Ed.B. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwd.Octavius 1
Ernest 1
Fr.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hugan 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Jerrard 1
Laurence 1
Mark 1
Peter 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Debney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Debney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Debney surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Debney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Debney a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Debney map show?

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