NameCensus.

UK surname

Delahunty

A surname indicating a descendant of someone from Leinster, Ireland.

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Delahunty surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 542, ranked #9,396, up from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Portland. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromley, Lambeth and Slough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Delahunty is 567 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 867.9%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

542

2016, ranked #9,396

Peak year

2000

567 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Delahunty had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 542 in 2016, ranked #9,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Delahunty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Delahunty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Delahunty 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 128 #19,664
1997 modern 539 #8,796
1998 modern 544 #9,000
1999 modern 552 #8,959
2000 modern 567 #8,733
2001 modern 555 #8,747
2002 modern 553 #8,949
2003 modern 533 #9,050
2004 modern 536 #9,032
2005 modern 553 #8,749
2006 modern 550 #8,814
2007 modern 558 #8,802
2008 modern 548 #8,993
2009 modern 557 #9,081
2010 modern 561 #9,214
2011 modern 550 #9,268
2012 modern 533 #9,407
2013 modern 555 #9,267
2014 modern 551 #9,378
2015 modern 559 #9,180
2016 modern 542 #9,396

Geography

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Where Delahuntys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Portland, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromley, Lambeth, Slough, Hyndburn and Bradford. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 Portland Dorset
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromley 015 Bromley
2 Lambeth 033 Lambeth
3 Slough 006 Slough
4 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn
5 Bradford 040 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Delahunty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Delahunty

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Delahunty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Delahunty 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Delahunty 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

Delahunty 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

Delahunty 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 Delahunty 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Delahunty

The surname Delahunty is of Irish origin, originating from the ancient Irish Gaelic name Ó Diolumhán. The name is derived from the words "diol" meaning "to earn" and "umha" meaning "brass", suggesting the name may have referred to a maker or worker of brass items in medieval times.

The Delahunty name can be traced back to County Clare in the west of Ireland, where it was most prevalent in the baronies of Tulla and Bunratty. Records show the name appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of letters patent from the 16th century, where a Patrick O'Diolumhain is mentioned in 1585. The name is also found in the 1659 census of Ireland, spelled as Delamhunty.

Notable individuals with the Delahunty surname include Father Thaddeus Delahunty (1826-1897), a prominent Catholic priest and educator who established several schools in the United States. Another is John Delahunty (1873-1955), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives.

Historian and author Andrew Delahunty (1918-1995) is known for his works on Irish history and culture, including his book "The Delahunty Family: An Irish Genealogy" published in 1985. Thomas Delahunty (1906-1991) was a professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930s.

Patrick Delahunty (1927-2021) was a prominent Irish hurler who won multiple All-Ireland medals with the Wexford senior hurling team in the 1950s, and was inducted into the Hurling Team of the Century in 1984.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Delahunty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Delahunty 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 23 Delahuntys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.76x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 23 4.76x
Dorset 8 25.00x
Lancashire 7 1.21x
Middlesex 6 1.23x
Surrey 2 0.84x
Devon 1 0.99x
Hampshire 1 1.00x
Kent 1 0.60x
Northumberland 1 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 14 Delahuntys recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.32x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 14 51.32x
Bradford 8 68.38x
Portland 8 465.12x
Manchester 3 11.53x
St Marylebone London 3 11.53x
Clerkenwell London 2 17.38x
Salford 2 11.75x
Broughton In Salford 1 18.90x
Chelsea London 1 6.81x
Farnborough 1 95.24x
Great Crosby 1 63.29x
Greenwich 1 12.89x
Otley 1 85.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 10.19x
Stoke Damerel 1 14.08x
Tynemouth 1 25.71x
Woking 1 69.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
(Mrs) 1
Bridget 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Julia 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Martin 3
Michael 3
Patrick 3
James 2
Jeremiah 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
D. 1
Dennis 1
George 1
Thomas 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 Delahunty households.

FAQ

Delahunty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Delahunty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Delahunty surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Delahunty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 542 in 2016. That gives Delahunty a modern rank of #9,396.

What does the Delahunty surname mean?

A surname indicating a descendant of someone from Leinster, Ireland.

What does the Delahunty map show?

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