NameCensus.

UK surname

Dempsey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Díomasaigh, meaning "descendant of Díomasach," a personal name meaning "proud."

In the 1881 census there were 1,883 people recorded with the Dempsey surname, ranking it #2,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,912, ranked #1,140, up from #2,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts, Ayr North Harbour, Wallacetown and Newton South and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dempsey is 6,053 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 214.0%.

1881 census count

1,883

Ranked #2,314

Modern count

5,912

2016, ranked #1,140

Peak year

2010

6,053 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dempsey had 1,883 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,912 in 2016, ranked #1,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,259 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dempsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dempsey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dempsey 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 681 #3,816
1861 historical 792 #3,479
1881 historical 1,883 #2,314
1891 historical 1,876 #2,458
1901 historical 2,259 #2,399
1911 historical 1,921 #2,582
1997 modern 5,419 #1,199
1998 modern 5,620 #1,205
1999 modern 5,698 #1,203
2000 modern 5,671 #1,201
2001 modern 5,514 #1,207
2002 modern 5,633 #1,204
2003 modern 5,522 #1,198
2004 modern 5,530 #1,191
2005 modern 5,466 #1,181
2006 modern 5,525 #1,172
2007 modern 5,613 #1,160
2008 modern 5,656 #1,158
2009 modern 5,886 #1,144
2010 modern 6,053 #1,141
2011 modern 5,979 #1,137
2012 modern 5,760 #1,157
2013 modern 5,888 #1,152
2014 modern 5,908 #1,153
2015 modern 5,931 #1,145
2016 modern 5,912 #1,140

Geography

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Where Dempseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts, Ayr North Harbour, Wallacetown and Newton South, Calderdale, Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields and Doon Valley South. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts South Ayrshire
2 Ayr North Harbour, Wallacetown and Newton South South Ayrshire
3 Calderdale 004 Calderdale
4 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire
5 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dempsey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dempsey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dempsey, 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 Dempsey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dempsey 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dempsey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dempsey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dempsey

The surname Dempsey has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó Díomasaigh, which means "descendant of Díomasach." The name Díomasach itself comes from the word "diomus," meaning "proud" or "arrogant."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dempsey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1172, the annals mention a Diarmaid Ó Diomusaigh, who was a chief of the Uí Ceinnsealaigh, a powerful family in the medieval Irish kingdom of Leinster.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the name Dempsey became more widespread as members of the family were dispersed across the island. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, which listed a William Dempsey in County Cork in 1367.

Over the centuries, the name Dempsey has been associated with several prominent figures in Irish history. One notable example is Jeremiah Dempsey (c. 1589-1667), who was a Roman Catholic priest and a prominent member of the Confederate Catholic Association during the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

Another notable Dempsey was Patrick Dempsey (1858-1915), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Dempsey Brewing Company in Waterloo, Iowa. He was also involved in various civic and charitable organizations in the area.

In the realm of sports, Jack Dempsey (1895-1983) was a famous American boxer who held the world heavyweight championship from 1919 to 1926. He was born William Harrison Dempsey and was of Irish descent.

The name Dempsey has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Dempsey's Head in County Waterford and Dempsey's Rock in County Wexford, both of which are named after local landowners or families bearing the Dempsey surname.

Throughout its long history, the surname Dempsey has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, with many families tracing their lineage back to the medieval Uí Ceinnsealaigh dynasty and the original Gaelic form of the name, Ó Díomasaigh.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dempsey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dempsey 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 623 Dempseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.87x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 623 2.87x
Yorkshire 198 1.09x
Middlesex 192 1.05x
Lanarkshire 131 2.21x
Midlothian 78 3.18x
Durham 71 1.30x
Surrey 62 0.69x
Cheshire 44 1.09x
Ayrshire 40 2.92x
Angus 37 2.18x
Kent 36 0.58x
Renfrewshire 35 2.47x
Hampshire 32 0.85x
Northumberland 31 1.14x
Essex 26 0.72x
Gloucestershire 26 0.72x
Warwickshire 23 0.50x
Glamorgan 21 0.66x
Derbyshire 17 0.59x
Argyllshire 14 2.75x
Monmouthshire 14 1.06x
Stirlingshire 13 1.92x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.59x
Devon 10 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 10 2.75x
Cumberland 8 0.51x
Sussex 7 0.23x
Flintshire 6 1.22x
Royal Navy 6 2.75x
Buteshire 5 4.50x
Fife 5 0.46x
Leicestershire 5 0.25x
Somerset 5 0.17x
Northamptonshire 4 0.23x
Worcestershire 4 0.17x
Denbighshire 3 0.43x
Staffordshire 3 0.05x
Channel Islands 2 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.41x
Hertfordshire 2 0.16x
Inverness-shire 2 0.37x
Norfolk 2 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.08x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Banffshire 1 0.26x
Cardiganshire 1 0.22x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.17x
Perthshire 1 0.12x
Shropshire 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 0.36x

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 156 Dempseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.82x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 156 11.82x
Manchester 49 5.01x
Barony 48 3.20x
Bradford 45 10.24x
Dundee 30 4.73x
Everton 28 4.04x
Glasgow 25 2.38x
Birmingham 22 1.43x
Govan 22 1.50x
Mile End Old Town London 22 5.64x
Sheffield 21 3.63x
Wigan 21 6.91x
Widnes 20 12.76x
Bowling 19 10.57x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 19 1.92x
Preston 19 3.27x
Salford 19 2.97x
Bermondsey 18 3.30x
Poplar London 18 5.21x
West Ham 18 2.25x
Broughton In Salford 17 8.55x
Blackburn 16 2.77x
Ashton Under Lyne 15 3.16x
Bootle Cum Linacre 15 8.69x
St Giles In Fields London 15 16.69x
Toxteth Park 15 2.04x
Gateshead 14 3.43x
Kirkdale 14 3.83x
Little Bolton 14 5.01x
Southampton St Mary 14 5.93x
Southend 14 233.72x
Barton Upon Irwell 13 7.94x
Birkenhead 13 4.03x
Heaton Norris 13 10.51x
Heworth 13 12.10x
Abbey 12 5.54x
Limehouse London 12 5.97x
Bristol St James In 11 20.82x
Campsie 11 29.67x
Cardiff St Mary 11 6.26x
Castleton 11 5.07x
Dalmellington 11 27.28x
South Leith 11 3.98x
Whitechapel London 11 6.09x
Bradford 10 9.83x
Dalry 10 15.50x
Elton 10 196.46x
Erith 10 16.24x
Lambeth 10 0.63x
St Pancras London 10 0.68x
Alverstoke 9 6.62x
Chesterfield 9 8.37x
East Kilbride 9 35.48x
Edinburgh High Church 9 58.44x
Hornsey 9 3.88x
Huddersfield 9 3.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 9 2.94x
Sculcoates 9 3.13x
Stockport 9 4.32x
Sunderland 9 9.35x
Westgate 9 5.33x
Chorley 8 6.56x
Crayford 8 29.30x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 8 47.06x
Haslingden 8 8.89x
Lasswade 8 14.26x
Oldham 8 1.14x
Over Darwen 8 4.61x
Wadsworth 8 27.07x
West Greenock 8 3.14x
Windle 8 6.54x
Brightside Bierlow 7 1.97x
Bury 7 2.82x
Chelsea London 7 1.27x
Fulham London 7 2.63x
Halifax 7 2.63x
Liff Benvie 7 2.72x
Middleton In Oldham 7 10.74x
Mitcham 7 12.41x
Warrington 7 2.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 155
Ellen 55
Elizabeth 44
Catherine 41
Margaret 40
Sarah 37
Ann 36
Annie 27
Bridget 27
Eliza 19
Jane 17
Julia 16
Emma 14
Hannah 12
Kate 10
Alice 9
Anne 8
Florence 8
Martha 8
Agnes 7
Maria 6
Susan 6
Elizth. 5
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Frances 5
Ada 4
Charlotte 4
Louisa 4
Margret 4
Amelia 3
Catharine 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Harriet 3
(Mrs) 2
Cathrine 2
Dora 2
Eva 2
Helen 2
Katherine 2
Katie 2
Laura 2
Lizzie 2
Lousia 2
Lucy 2
Margraet 2
Margt. 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2

Top male names

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

FAQ

Dempsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dempsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,883 people were recorded with the Dempsey surname. That placed it at #2,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dempsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,912 in 2016. That gives Dempsey a modern rank of #1,140.

What does the Dempsey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Díomasaigh, meaning "descendant of Díomasach," a personal name meaning "proud."

What does the Dempsey map show?

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