NameCensus.

UK surname

Delahay

From an enclosure for hay.

In the 1881 census there were 175 people recorded with the Delahay surname, ranking it #13,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 277, ranked #15,619, down from #13,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Talgarth and Ross Foreign and Ross Borough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills, Newport and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Delahay is 302 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.3%.

1881 census count

175

Ranked #13,982

Modern count

277

2016, ranked #15,619

Peak year

2002

302 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Delahay had 175 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 277 in 2016, ranked #15,619.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 258 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Delahay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Delahay surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Delahay 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 175 #13,982
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 228 #13,929
1911 historical 258 #12,614
1997 modern 271 #14,486
1998 modern 284 #14,402
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 285 #14,422
2001 modern 276 #14,507
2002 modern 302 #13,938
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 278 #14,609
2005 modern 267 #14,954
2006 modern 260 #15,329
2007 modern 262 #15,399
2008 modern 260 #15,648
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 284 #15,312
2011 modern 286 #15,091
2012 modern 285 #15,050
2013 modern 287 #15,224
2014 modern 275 #15,831
2015 modern 278 #15,586
2016 modern 277 #15,619

Geography

Back to top

Where Delahays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Talgarth, Ross Foreign and Ross Borough, Shelsley Beauchamp and Wednesbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Herefordshire and Derby. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Talgarth Brecon
3 Ross Foreign and Ross Borough Herefordshire
4 Shelsley Beauchamp Worcestershire
5 Wednesbury Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills
2 Newport 018 Newport
3 Merthyr Tydfil 004 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Herefordshire 005 Herefordshire, County of
5 Derby 030 Derby

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Delahay

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Delahay

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Delahay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Delahay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Delahay 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

Delahay is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Delahay 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 Delahay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Delahay

The surname DELAHAY originated in France during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old French phrase "de la haye" which translates to "from the hedge" or "of the hedge." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with hedges, perhaps as a farmer or landowner with hedged property.

The earliest known record of the DELAHAY surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. It was documented in various spellings such as de la Haie, de la Hay, and de la Haye, reflecting the variations common in naming practices of that era.

In the 14th century, the DELAHAY name appeared in the historic Hundredorum Rolls, a census-like record of landowners and households in England compiled between 1273 and 1286. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname had already established a presence in England by that time, likely as a result of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One notable figure with the DELAHAY surname was Jean de la Haye, a French Catholic priest and theologian born in Normandy in the late 15th century (c. 1470-1529). He authored several religious works and served as the rector of the University of Paris.

Another individual of note was Philippe de la Haye (1570-1637), a French jurist and legal scholar from Normandy who wrote extensively on civil and canon law.

In England, the DELAHAY surname can be traced back to the 16th century, with records indicating a William Delahaie living in Wiltshire in 1541. This spelling variation further illustrates the fluidity of surname spellings during that period.

One of the earliest documented instances of the DELAHAY spelling itself was in the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Sandwich, Kent, where a John Delahay was recorded in 1586.

Robert Delahay (1592-1637) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St. John's College, Oxford, from 1631 until his death.

In the 18th century, Sir Edward Delahay (1728-1795) was a notable British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later rose to the rank of Admiral of the White.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Delahay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Delahay 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. Glamorgan leads with 38 Delahays recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.12x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 38 15.12x
Staffordshire 28 5.75x
Warwickshire 13 3.57x
Worcestershire 12 6.37x
Lancashire 10 0.58x
Herefordshire 9 15.21x
Surrey 9 1.28x
Monmouthshire 8 7.67x
Brecknockshire 7 24.25x
Kent 5 1.02x
Middlesex 4 0.28x
Gloucestershire 3 1.06x
Cardiganshire 1 2.84x
Hampshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wednesbury in Staffordshire leads with 13 Delahays recorded in 1881 and an index of 106.73x.

Place Total Index
Wednesbury 13 106.73x
Merthyr Tydfil 11 45.53x
Llandyfodwg 9 633.80x
Birmingham 7 5.77x
Glasbury 7 1794.87x
Aston 6 5.99x
Bold 6 1428.57x
Burton Upon Trent 6 52.63x
Coyty Lower 6 368.10x
Cwmdu 6 196.08x
Oldbury 6 64.72x
Shelsley Beauchamp 6 4285.71x
St Woollos 6 51.50x
West Bromwich 6 21.51x
Chatham 5 36.90x
Lambeth 5 3.97x
Llysworney 4 5000.00x
Newington 4 7.50x
West Dean 3 65.22x
Hereford St Owen 2 102.56x
Manchester 2 2.60x
Mynyddyslwyn 2 48.54x
Newcastle Lower 2 384.62x
Tipton 2 13.40x
Toxteth Park 2 3.45x
Winforton 2 3333.33x
Aberystwith 1 33.00x
Bosbury 1 204.08x
Chelsea London 1 2.30x
Eardisley 1 232.56x
Handsworth 1 8.33x
Harrow On The Hill 1 34.72x
Kensington London 1 1.25x
Letton 1 1111.11x
Portsea 1 1.72x
Ratcliffe London 1 12.55x
Ross 1 42.55x
Whitney 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Mary 7
Sarah 6
Margaret 5
Emma 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Alice 2
Amy 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Gertrude 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Blanche 1
Cecil 1
Clara 1
Clorente 1
Constance 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Eugene 1
Fanny 1
Florrie 1
Henrietta 1
Jennett 1
Jessie 1
Mabel 1
Phillis 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 8
George 7
Thomas 6
Alfred 4
Charles 4
James 4
Richard 4
David 3
Hopkin 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alf.Thos.Jas. 1
Alphonse 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Jabez 1
Rene 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Delahay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Delahay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 175 people were recorded with the Delahay surname. That placed it at #13,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Delahay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 277 in 2016. That gives Delahay a modern rank of #15,619.

What does the Delahay surname mean?

From an enclosure for hay.

What does the Delahay map show?

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