NameCensus.

UK surname

Deery

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic word "doire" meaning oak grove or wooded place.

In the 1881 census there were 48 people recorded with the Deery surname, ranking it #26,869 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 578, ranked #8,965, up from #26,869 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glasgow, Liverpool and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rugby, Wyre and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deery is 592 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1104.2%.

1881 census count

48

Ranked #26,869

Modern count

578

2016, ranked #8,965

Peak year

2011

592 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deery had 48 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,869 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 578 in 2016, ranked #8,965.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Deery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deery surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deery 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 53 #27,253
1881 historical 48 #26,869
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 516 #9,095
1998 modern 519 #9,327
1999 modern 518 #9,410
2000 modern 524 #9,295
2001 modern 495 #9,544
2002 modern 509 #9,509
2003 modern 493 #9,588
2004 modern 495 #9,573
2005 modern 502 #9,419
2006 modern 521 #9,193
2007 modern 530 #9,144
2008 modern 526 #9,271
2009 modern 550 #9,169
2010 modern 568 #9,134
2011 modern 592 #8,782
2012 modern 536 #9,361
2013 modern 551 #9,320
2014 modern 566 #9,174
2015 modern 563 #9,130
2016 modern 578 #8,965

Geography

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Where Deerys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glasgow, Liverpool, West Derby, London parishes and Wallsend. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rugby, Wyre, Stockton-on-Tees and Birmingham. 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 Glasgow Lanark
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Wallsend Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rugby 010 Rugby
2 Wyre 001 Wyre
3 Stockton-on-Tees 009 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Birmingham 089 Birmingham
5 Rugby 008 Rugby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deery

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Deery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Deery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Deery 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

Deery 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

Deery falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Deery 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Deery

The surname DEERY is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "doire," meaning "oak wood" or "oak grove." The name likely originated in areas of Ireland where there were significant oak forests or settlements located near such woodlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEERY can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1164, a person named "Dermot O'Derry" is mentioned as a participant in a battle between rival Irish clans.

By the 16th century, the surname DEERY had spread across various parts of Ireland, particularly in counties such as Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry (which likely contributed to the name's spelling variation). Records from this time period show the name spelled as "Deerie," "Deyrie," and "Derry," among other variations.

In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, several DEERY families were granted lands in County Donegal as part of the English Crown's efforts to establish Protestant settlements in the region. One notable figure from this period was John DEERY (1620-1689), a Protestant landowner who played a role in the local administration of Donegal.

Another historical figure bearing the DEERY surname was Patrick DEERY (1789-1861), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of Melbourne, Australia, from 1847 until his death. He was instrumental in establishing the Catholic Church in the colony of Victoria during its early years.

In the 19th century, many individuals with the DEERY surname emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, particularly North America and Australia, due to factors such as the Great Famine and the search for better economic opportunities. One notable DEERY from this era was Michael DEERY (1818-1892), a successful farmer and landowner in Ontario, Canada, who also served as a local magistrate and justice of the peace.

Other notable individuals with the DEERY surname include William DEERY (1836-1915), an Irish-born businessman who founded the Deery Brothers company in Iowa, United States, which became a prominent implement and vehicle dealership in the Midwest. Additionally, there was James DEERY (1901-1987), an American entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Deery Brothers automotive group in Iowa City, Iowa.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deery 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. Lanarkshire leads with 18 Deerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.68x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 18 12.68x
Lancashire 8 1.54x
Northumberland 8 12.25x
Cheshire 3 3.10x
Middlesex 3 0.68x
Kent 2 1.34x
Sussex 2 2.70x
West Lothian 1 15.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Deerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.77x.

Place Total Index
Barony 15 41.77x
Wallsend 7 338.16x
Mile End Old Town London 3 32.12x
Brighton 2 13.40x
Everton 2 12.06x
Glasgow 2 7.94x
Liverpool 2 6.33x
Nantwich 2 176.99x
North Meols 2 39.22x
Birkdale 1 75.76x
Carriden 1 333.33x
Elswick 1 19.19x
Govan 1 2.85x
Gravesend 1 78.74x
Little Leigh 1 1428.57x
Milton In Gravesend 1 44.44x
West Derby 1 6.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Lillian 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Archibold 1
Arthur 1
Barnard 1
Bernard 1
Edward 1
Geo. 1
George 1
John 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Thos. 1
William 1

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 Deery households.

FAQ

Deery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 48 people were recorded with the Deery surname. That placed it at #26,869 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 578 in 2016. That gives Deery a modern rank of #8,965.

What does the Deery surname mean?

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic word "doire" meaning oak grove or wooded place.

What does the Deery map show?

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