NameCensus.

UK surname

Dermody

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Diarmaid meaning "without envy."

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Dermody surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 312, ranked #14,350, up from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, St Woollos (incl. Newport) and Washington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Powys and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dermody is 352 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 316.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

312

2016, ranked #14,350

Peak year

1997

352 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dermody had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 312 in 2016, ranked #14,350.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 143 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dermody surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dermody surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dermody 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 352 #12,117
1998 modern 344 #12,679
1999 modern 350 #12,609
2000 modern 343 #12,746
2001 modern 332 #12,841
2002 modern 342 #12,837
2003 modern 329 #13,001
2004 modern 334 #12,897
2005 modern 322 #13,175
2006 modern 320 #13,289
2007 modern 321 #13,403
2008 modern 326 #13,374
2009 modern 340 #13,244
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 309 #14,236
2013 modern 323 #14,003
2014 modern 320 #14,181
2015 modern 320 #14,090
2016 modern 312 #14,350

Geography

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Where Dermodys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, St Woollos (incl. Newport), Washington, Warrington and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Powys, Salford, Wirral and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 St Woollos (incl. Newport) Monmouthshire
3 Washington Durham
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 011 Manchester
2 Powys 021 Powys
3 Salford 013 Salford
4 Wirral 007 Wirral
5 Barrow-in-Furness 002 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dermody

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dermody

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dermody, 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 Dermody surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dermody 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dermody is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dermody is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dermody 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 Dermody is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Dermody

The surname Dermody originates from Ireland, with its roots traceable to the 16th century or earlier. The name is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic "O'Diarmada" or "O'Diarmuid," which translates to "son of Diarmaid." Diarmaid is an ancient Irish personal name derived from the Old Irish words "diar," meaning "without," and "maith," meaning "good" or "wealth."

The earliest recorded instances of the Dermody name can be found in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in the counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the western part of Ireland. Some early variations in spelling include Dermode, Darmody, and Darmodie.

One notable historical reference to the Dermody name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan friars in the early 17th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname O'Diarmada, who were prominent figures in the Irish clans of the time.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the Dermody surname is Edmond Dermody, a poet and playwright born in Ennis, County Clare, in 1763. He is best known for his poem "The Buttermilk Seller" and his play "The Pursuit of Credulity."

Another notable figure is James Dermody, a lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland in the late 18th century. He was born in County Galway in 1740 and died in 1804.

In the 19th century, Thomas Dermody, born in Ennis in 1775, gained recognition as a poet and translator, publishing works such as "The Harp of Erin" and translations of various classical texts.

The Dermody name also has connections to several place names in Ireland. For example, Dermodymore, a townland in County Mayo, is believed to have derived its name from the Irish "Dior Mada Mor," which translates to "the great oak wood of Diarmaid."

John B. Dermody, born in 1898 in County Mayo, was a prominent Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Dermody Transport Company in Kansas City, Missouri, and made significant contributions to educational and charitable organizations.

These examples illustrate the rich history and significance of the Dermody surname, which has its roots deeply intertwined with Irish culture and tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dermody families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dermody 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 25 Dermodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 25 2.88x
Monmouthshire 8 15.13x
Cheshire 7 4.33x
Middlesex 7 0.96x
Essex 5 3.46x
Perthshire 5 15.23x
Yorkshire 5 0.69x
Surrey 4 1.12x
Warwickshire 4 2.17x
Midlothian 2 2.04x
Hampshire 1 0.67x
Kent 1 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stretford in Lancashire leads with 9 Dermodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 188.28x.

Place Total Index
Stretford 9 188.28x
Chester St John Baptist 7 241.38x
St Woollos 7 118.64x
Warrington 7 68.03x
Spitalfields London 6 109.09x
Bradford 5 28.49x
Methven 5 1041.67x
Birmingham 4 6.51x
Colchester St Botolph 4 325.20x
Elton 4 133.33x
Newington 4 14.80x
Windle 2 40.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 7.25x
Colchester St Mary At 1 196.08x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 77.52x
Farnborough 1 63.69x
Greenwich 1 8.58x
Lenton 1 43.10x
Liverpool 1 1.90x
Newport 1 39.68x
Salford 1 3.92x
South Leith 1 9.07x
St Marylebone London 1 2.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 3
Julia 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Jane 1
Katherine 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 2
James 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
Thomas 2
Thos. 2
William 2
Charles 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Francis 1
George 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Michel 1
Pat 1
Richard 1
Wm. 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 Dermody households.

FAQ

Dermody surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dermody surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Dermody surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dermody surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 312 in 2016. That gives Dermody a modern rank of #14,350.

What does the Dermody surname mean?

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Diarmaid meaning "without envy."

What does the Dermody map show?

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