NameCensus.

UK surname

Dennehy

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Denaí meaning descendant of Dena.

In the 1881 census there were 13 people recorded with the Dennehy surname, ranking it #31,761 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 709, ranked #7,637, up from #31,761 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Taunton Deane, Winchester and St Edmundsbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dennehy is 717 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5353.8%.

1881 census count

13

Ranked #31,761

Modern count

709

2016, ranked #7,637

Peak year

2010

717 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dennehy had 13 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,761 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 709 in 2016, ranked #7,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 63 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Dennehy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dennehy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dennehy 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 4 #32,658
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1881 historical 13 #31,761
1891 historical 27 #32,115
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 625 #7,916
1998 modern 650 #7,904
1999 modern 674 #7,733
2000 modern 690 #7,573
2001 modern 683 #7,500
2002 modern 676 #7,722
2003 modern 657 #7,778
2004 modern 657 #7,773
2005 modern 653 #7,741
2006 modern 650 #7,795
2007 modern 659 #7,784
2008 modern 667 #7,761
2009 modern 695 #7,682
2010 modern 717 #7,641
2011 modern 717 #7,557
2012 modern 684 #7,749
2013 modern 709 #7,653
2014 modern 706 #7,720
2015 modern 712 #7,623
2016 modern 709 #7,637

Geography

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Where Dennehys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Taunton Deane, Winchester, St Edmundsbury, Sedgemoor and High Peak. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Taunton Deane 001 Taunton Deane
2 Winchester 004 Winchester
3 St Edmundsbury 002 St Edmundsbury
4 Sedgemoor 009 Sedgemoor
5 High Peak 013 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dennehy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dennehy

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Dennehy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Dennehy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dennehy 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

Dennehy 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

Dennehy falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dennehy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Dennehy

The surname Dennehy originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic Ó Dónaigh, meaning "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was a personal name that meant "brown warrior" or "dark chief." The name Dennehy is an anglicized version of the original Gaelic form.

The surname Dennehy has its roots in County Cork, Ireland, where it was concentrated in the baronies of Duhallow and Muskerry. It is believed that the Dennehy clan descended from the Uí Duinnchuan, a branch of the Uí Fidgenti, who were a powerful family in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dennehy can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle compiled in the early 12th century. The annals mention a Donnchadh Ua Dónaigh, who was the chief of Hy-Duinnchuain, in the year 1027.

In the 16th century, the Dennehy family was prominent in the area of Muskerry, County Cork. During this period, several members of the family held positions of influence, including Tadhg Dennehy, who was the Bishop of Ross from 1536 to 1554.

Another notable figure was Donnchadh Dennehy, who lived in the late 16th century and was a renowned Irish poet and scholar. His work, known as the "Dánta Donnchadha Uí Dhónaigh," is a valuable source of information about the history and culture of the Gaelic Irish.

In the 17th century, the Dennehy family faced challenges due to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent confiscation of lands. Despite this, the family maintained a presence in County Cork, and some members emigrated to other parts of Ireland and abroad.

One prominent individual from this period was John Dennehy, who was born in County Cork in 1678. He was a Catholic priest and a prominent figure in the Irish Jacobite movement, which sought to restore the Catholic Stuart monarch to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, we find James Dennehy, who was born in 1826 in County Cork. He was a renowned Irish artist and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits depicting the life and scenery of his native county.

In the 20th century, the name Dennehy continued to be associated with various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts. One notable figure was Brian Dennehy, an American actor born in 1938 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Irish immigrant parents. He had a successful career in films, television, and theater, earning numerous awards and nominations for his performances.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dennehy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dennehy 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. Surrey leads with 7 Dennehys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.33x.

County Total Index
Surrey 7 11.33x
Lancashire 5 3.32x
Middlesex 1 0.79x

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 5 Dennehys recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.70x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 5 54.70x
Putney 5 862.07x
Newington 1 21.37x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 39.22x
St George Hanover Square 1 44.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Kate 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Harry 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Mary 1
Michael 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 Dennehy households.

FAQ

Dennehy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dennehy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13 people were recorded with the Dennehy surname. That placed it at #31,761 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dennehy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 709 in 2016. That gives Dennehy a modern rank of #7,637.

What does the Dennehy surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Denaí meaning descendant of Dena.

What does the Dennehy map show?

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