NameCensus.

UK surname

Delaney

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dubhshláine, meaning "descendant of Dubhshláine," derived from the Gaelic elements dubh (dark) and slán (defiance).

In the 1881 census there were 1,916 people recorded with the Delaney surname, ranking it #2,273 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,323, ranked #915, up from #2,273 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Sutton and Cleland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Delaney is 7,472 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 282.2%.

1881 census count

1,916

Ranked #2,273

Modern count

7,323

2016, ranked #915

Peak year

2010

7,472 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Delaney had 1,916 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,273 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,323 in 2016, ranked #915.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,418 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Delaney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Delaney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Delaney 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 498 #5,020
1861 historical 651 #4,122
1881 historical 1,916 #2,273
1891 historical 1,800 #2,549
1901 historical 2,418 #2,250
1911 historical 2,176 #2,313
1997 modern 6,778 #958
1998 modern 6,937 #974
1999 modern 7,050 #969
2000 modern 7,011 #968
2001 modern 6,835 #974
2002 modern 7,018 #963
2003 modern 6,873 #957
2004 modern 6,864 #964
2005 modern 6,824 #954
2006 modern 6,868 #951
2007 modern 6,953 #947
2008 modern 7,085 #930
2009 modern 7,273 #928
2010 modern 7,472 #920
2011 modern 7,300 #929
2012 modern 7,099 #933
2013 modern 7,308 #920
2014 modern 7,414 #914
2015 modern 7,338 #917
2016 modern 7,323 #915

Geography

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Where Delaneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, 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 Tameside, Sutton, Cleland, Stockton-on-Tees and Pembrokeshire. 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 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 001 Tameside
2 Sutton 024 Sutton
3 Cleland North Lanarkshire
4 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Delaney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Delaney

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Delaney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Delaney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Delaney 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

Delaney 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

Delaney 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 Delaney 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 Delaney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Delaney

The surname Delaney has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Dulaine" or "O'Dulanty," which translates to "descendant of the leader" or "descendant of the challenger."

The name is believed to have originated in County Laois, a region in the eastern part of Ireland. The prefix "O" in the original Gaelic form indicates that the name belonged to one of the ancient Celtic clans that ruled various parts of the country before the Norman invasion.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a celebrated medieval chronicle of Irish history compiled in the 17th century. These annals mention several individuals with the name Delaney, such as Donough O'Dulanty, a prominent chieftain who lived in the 13th century.

Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Delany, Delaunie, Delauny, and Delaunie, reflecting the influence of different languages and dialects in Ireland. The modern spelling, Delaney, became more standardized in the 17th and 18th centuries.

One notable figure bearing the Delaney surname was Patrick Delaney (1685-1768), an Irish Franciscan friar who played a significant role in the establishment of the Catholic Church in the United States. He is considered one of the founders of the first Catholic parish in New York City.

Another prominent individual was Mary Delaney (1700-1788), an English artist and courtier known for her intricate paper mosaics and her correspondence with prominent figures of the time, including Jonathan Swift and Mary Granville.

In the realm of literature, Shelagh Delaney (1938-2011) was a renowned English dramatist and screenwriter, best known for her play "A Taste of Honey," which explored societal issues such as race, class, and gender identity.

The name Delaney has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Delaney's Glen in County Tipperary and Delaney's Rock in County Wicklow, further reinforcing its deep-rooted connection to the Irish landscape and history.

Throughout the centuries, the Delaney surname has spread across the globe, carried by Irish emigrants who settled in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Delaney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Delaney 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 715 Delaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.21x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 715 3.21x
Yorkshire 350 1.88x
Middlesex 179 0.95x
Lanarkshire 93 1.53x
Durham 59 1.06x
Cheshire 54 1.30x
Northumberland 41 1.47x
Staffordshire 37 0.58x
Surrey 36 0.39x
Kent 35 0.55x
Derbyshire 32 1.09x
Gloucestershire 31 0.84x
Warwickshire 30 0.63x
Midlothian 25 0.99x
Devon 19 0.49x
Cumberland 17 1.05x
Glamorgan 17 0.52x
Essex 16 0.43x
Hampshire 14 0.36x
Angus 13 0.75x
Somerset 13 0.43x
Ayrshire 10 0.71x
Royal Navy 10 4.46x
Isle of Man 9 2.58x
Fife 8 0.72x
Shropshire 8 0.49x
Berkshire 7 0.50x
Channel Islands 6 1.08x
Westmorland 6 1.45x
Worcestershire 5 0.20x
Denbighshire 4 0.56x
Leicestershire 4 0.19x
Sussex 4 0.13x
Anglesey 3 0.90x
Monmouthshire 3 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.33x
Bedfordshire 1 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.13x
Dorset 1 0.08x
Flintshire 1 0.20x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.07x
Stirlingshire 1 0.14x
Suffolk 1 0.04x
Wigtownshire 1 0.40x

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 141 Delaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.41x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 141 10.41x
Manchester 78 7.78x
Leeds 64 6.08x
Bradford 53 11.75x
Everton 51 7.17x
Little Bolton 47 16.39x
Bowling 45 24.39x
Ashton Under Lyne 36 7.38x
Horton In Bradford 35 12.03x
Salford 35 5.34x
Wallsend 30 33.82x
St Pancras London 27 1.78x
Oldham 24 3.33x
Islington London 23 1.26x
Hulme 22 4.72x
Birmingham 21 1.33x
Halliwell 19 23.40x
Kirkdale 19 5.06x
New Monkland 19 10.57x
West Derby 19 2.91x
Blackburn 18 3.03x
Halifax 17 6.22x
Sheffield 16 2.70x
Gateshead 15 3.58x
Glasgow 15 1.39x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 3.95x
Dukinfield 13 6.78x
Govan 13 0.86x
Lambeth 13 0.79x
Sculcoates 13 4.40x
Shotts 13 17.87x
Toxteth Park 13 1.72x
West Dean 13 21.71x
Bedminster 12 4.22x
Clerkenwell London 12 2.70x
Walton Le Dale 12 20.02x
Whitechapel London 12 6.48x
Easingwold 11 83.65x
Liff Benvie 11 4.16x
Newton In Makerfield 11 16.11x
Northowram 11 8.42x
Openshaw 11 10.53x
Wigan 11 3.53x
Worsley 11 8.00x
Chelsea London 10 1.77x
Chesterfield 10 9.06x
Hamilton 10 5.90x
Hammersmith London 10 2.16x
Old Monkland 10 4.15x
Royal Navy 10 5.22x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 1.49x
Kilmarnock 9 5.38x
Linthorpe 9 8.10x
Oswaldtwistle 9 11.42x
Pendlebury 9 19.11x
Swansea Town 9 3.35x
Widnes 9 5.59x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 4.52x
Castle Eden 8 141.09x
Millom 8 16.13x
Normanton 8 32.18x
Pendleton In Salford 8 3.01x
Poplar London 8 2.25x
Beswick 7 12.27x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 2.02x
Camberwell 7 0.58x
Easington 7 86.31x
Enfield 7 5.68x
Falkland 7 40.00x
Shoreditch London 7 0.86x
St Giles In Fields London 7 7.59x
St Marylebone London 7 0.70x
Stockton On Tees 7 2.60x
West Ham 7 0.85x
Burton 6 138.25x
Chester St John Baptist 6 8.05x
Dewsbury 6 3.14x
Felstead 6 47.21x
St Martin In Fields 6 5.33x
Woolaston 6 107.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 190
Elizabeth 62
Catherine 54
Margaret 51
Ann 46
Sarah 39
Bridget 32
Ellen 29
Eliza 28
Annie 24
Kate 22
Jane 20
Julia 20
Maria 14
Alice 13
Hannah 11
Emily 8
Martha 8
Anne 7
Clara 6
Caroline 5
Emma 5
Florence 5
Margt. 5
Rose 5
Susan 5
Catharine 4
Isabella 4
Johanna 4
Margret 4
Agnes 3
Eleanor 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Katherine 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Bessie 2
Betsy 2
Cathl. 2
Dora 2
Dorothy 2
Frances 2
Maggie 2
Margeret 2
Maud 2
Norah 2
Rachel 2
Selina 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 187
James 83
William 76
Thomas 67
Patrick 54
Michael 44
Edward 34
Joseph 26
George 23
Charles 22
Peter 18
Daniel 17
Richard 16
Henry 15
Martin 14
Dennis 8
Matthew 6
Robert 6
Timothy 6
Andrew 5
Bernard 5
David 5
Denis 5
Harry 5
Walter 5
Alfred 4
Austin 4
Christopher 4
Francis 4
J. 4
Jeremiah 4
Robt. 4
Wm. 4
Arthur 3
Cornelius 3
Edwd. 3
Fenton 3
Frederick 3
Luke 3
Nicholas 3
Richd. 3
Anthony 2
Dan 2
Edmund 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Mark 2
Paterick 2
Patk. 2
Phillip 2

FAQ

Delaney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Delaney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,916 people were recorded with the Delaney surname. That placed it at #2,273 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Delaney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,323 in 2016. That gives Delaney a modern rank of #915.

What does the Delaney surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dubhshláine, meaning "descendant of Dubhshláine," derived from the Gaelic elements dubh (dark) and slán (defiance).

What does the Delaney map show?

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